A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey
by got2luvanime9974
Summary: It's a new world to explore; a strange world filled with much strife. But what secrets does it hold? What questions will it answer? Natsu and Mirajane Dragneel, along with their daughter Serafine, are determined to find out in a race against time.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! It's the moment you've all (or some) have been waiting for! The sequel to _A Diary's Secret_ starts now!**

 **While I hope that this story is just as enjoyable as the first one, I do understand that it may not be to some of you. _A Diary's Secret_ was really something special and I'm a bit scared to do a sequel and ruin its magic. Again, I would have just left it be if it wasn't for the fact that I had an idea for it. I will try my best to capture the same lightning in a bottle and I hope you'll enjoy the ride.**

 **I also can't promise anything about upload speeds. Such is the life of someone who can't just write all day.**

 **Anyway, I really hope that you enjoy this sequel and that it will be everything you hoped it would be! Thanks again for all of your support!**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

 _ **Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey**_

 **Chapter 1**

The Kingdom of Fiore; one of the most powerful nations in all of Earth Land. It comes as no surprise to hear this, for it has been this way for many years. The reason for their strength and unity is no secret. The source is the countless wizard guilds that dot the landscape. Each guild has a unique strength of their own and has earned quite a reputation for themselves. However, there is a particular guild in a particular town that soars high above the rest. This guild has shown unrivaled strength, determination, and bonds. Their success rate on mission requests trumped all to the point of near perfection. And that guild is Fairy Tail.

Fairy Tail's reputation had always brought a lot of prosperity to the town of Magnolia. As the years went by, more people began to flock to Magnolia for the sole purpose of living near the guild. Perhaps it was for protection. Perhaps it was for the convenience of job requests. Their true intentions for doing so aside, Magnolia was forced to grow to accommodate the new citizens. The growth spawned an increase in financial stability in the town and before long Magnolia became one of the wealthiest places in all of Fiore. The mayor of Magnolia was so thrilled at having the town's status improve so dramatically that in the year 790 he rewarded Fairy Tail with a magnificent and lavish guild hall to show his appreciation.

Fairy Tail saw changes as well, aside from the usual coming and going of wizards. Soon after receiving the new guild hall, Makarov Dreyar stepped down as Guild Master of Fairy Tail. His health had taken a turn for the worse and his constant need for treatment from Porlyusica, the guild's Medical Advisor, limited his activities. He still was a constant within the guild hall, but more so to eat and drink than to make decisions. His stepping down led to the need for a new master and Erza Scarlet was the best and most obvious choice. Despite her heavy heart in replacing Makarov, she willingly accepted.

With Erza now in charge, the guild saw a significant decrease in wizards succeeding and moving up to S-Class. She had tweaked the annual Trials and made them far more challenging. Her reasoning was simple—Fairy Tail's S-Class had to be prepared to overcome any challenge no matter the difficulty. Unfortunately, this motto was taken a little too seriously. However, in the eight years since Erza took the helm, there still were some wizards who moved up to S-Class to join the pre-existing S-Class members of Gildarts Clive, Erza, Laxus Dreyar, Mystogan, and Mirajane Strauss.

In the year 792, Gray Fullbuster passed the Trials and became the sixth S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail.

In the year 793, Cana Alberona passed the Trials and became the seventh S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail.

In the year 795, Gajeel Redfox, a member of the guild since the year 784, passed the Trials and became the eighth S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail.

In the year 796, Natsu Dragneel passed the Trials and became the ninth S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail. Many were surprised that it took Natsu so long to pass and become S-Class, but there was a very good reason for it; he wasn't even participating. That in and of itself was surprising. How could the fight-happy Natsu possibly pass up the chance to become S-Class, something he had wanted for a very long time?

It's quite simple, really. He had a family to think about. With Mira constantly being called away for S-Class missions, Natsu stayed home to take care of Serafine. He took jobs whenever Mira was home, but he couldn't take the risk of also having to be called away on a long S-Class mission and leaving Serafine all alone. However, when Serafine turned 11 in the year 796, Mira convinced him that now was the time to start trying again. He gladly agreed and won the Trials with ease, beating out a lot of hopefuls with high potential such as Lucy Heartfilia, Wendy Marvell, and Juvia Lockser.

Time may have changed many things, but one thing stayed the same; Fairy Tail was a force to be reckoned with. Their strength continued to grow with time and Erza was proving to be an excellent Master. With such powerful members, one thing was sure; fantastic and breath-taking adventures were assured.

And one such adventure was right around the corner.

* * *

 **YEAR 798**

Near the outskirts of the East Forest that bordered Magnolia sat a large, spacious clearing of grass and the occasional boulder. It was clear upon first glance that it was a training field. A quiet, warm wind blew, bending the grass as two wizards squared off.

The first wizard was a large, broad, strong young man with wild, spiked, short pink hair. He was garbed in a forest green, skin-tight T-shirt that clung to his muscles and gray, loose pants. A checkered scarf was wrapped around his neck in spite of the warmth of summer and billowed behind him in the wind. His onyx eyes had a fire in them as he stared down his opponent.

The other wizard was a young girl. She was small and developing in many ways. Her long, straight, pink hair had streaks of silver and it blew freely in the wind. She was dressed in a red, loose T-shirt and white shorts, but there were small tears everywhere. She, too, had a similar checkered scarf wrapped around her neck. Her eyes were cobalt blue and, like the young man's eyes, they had a fire within them as well.

"One more time, Papa!" Serafine Dragneel shouted. She was covered head to toe in scrapes and bruises, but she stared down her father with determination and confidence and with a smile on her face.

Natsu Dragneel chuckled as he put his hands on his hips. There wasn't a scratch on him, but a thin sheen of sweat coated his skin. "Calm down, kiddo. We can try again later."

Serafine puffed out her cheeks and stomped her feet. "No way! I wanna rematch now!"

Natsu laughed, his signature wide grin plastered on his face. "That's my girl! Never give up!" Natsu's hands and arms became engulfed in intense flames as he took a battle ready stance. "Alright, you talked me into it. I'm fired up!"

Happy sighed from his seat on the sidelines. "It's not like it's hard to talk you into a fight, Natsu."

"Shut it, Happy!" Natsu spat.

"C'mon, you guys have been sparring for _ever_. Can't we go fishing yet?" Happy groaned.

"Chill, Uncle Happy," Serafine replied. "We can go as soon as I wipe the floor with Papa!"

Happy sobbed softly. "But that's what you've been saying for the past hour."

"Details shmeetails," Serafine replied with a wave of her hand. "Now watch this, Uncle!" She charged forward with a fierce yell, her clenched fists drawn back. "Here I come, Papa!"

Natsu waited back and snickered. As soon as Serafine leapt at him and prepared to throw a punch, he quickly stepped away.

"Shoot," Serafine hissed as she tried to redirect herself in midair, but it was too late. Her father had already grabbed her by the arm.

"You're open!" Natsu laughed as he spun his daughter around and around before letting her go.

With a small cry, Serafine flew through the air, hit the ground, and rolled to a stop. She groaned as she pushed herself up and spat off to the side. "I was careless."

"Alright, enough for now," Natsu said while brushing his hands together. "Let's get something to eat at home, okay?"

Serafine hopped to her feet and brushed off her dirty clothes. "Yeah, okay," she pouted.

"Chin up, kiddo. You're improving!"

Serafine ran up to him with a hopeful look in her eyes. "Are you sure?"

He ruffled her hair. "Absolutely!"

She giggled. "Thanks, Papa."

"C'mon, let's get moving. I'm starved!"

"Me, too!" Happy chimed in.

"You two are always hungry," Serafine sweatdropped.

"And you're not hungry?" Happy asked.

Serafine opened her mouth to reply, but her stomach spoke for her. She blushed as she put a hand to her stomach. "Okay, maybe I'm a little on the hungry side."

"That's my girl!" Natsu beamed.

"Appetite like her father," Happy said while shaking his little blue head.

"You're one to talk," Natsu huffed.

The three began walking from the large training field and deeper into the East Forest where their home resided. It wasn't much of a walk since the training field belonged to them. And they were soon walking up the familiar cobblestone steps.

The Dragneel home was still in the same location as before. It was still nestled in a quiet location among the trees in the East Forest. However, it was not remotely the same cottage that it was before. In fact, it was now a large, two story house. The walls were now made of wood and colored a dark mahogany. Shadows and sunlight danced across the large pane windows that lined each wall. A black brick chimney blew clean white smoke into the blue, midday sky.

Serafine ran up to the large black oak door with the animal skull and threw it open. The interior of the house was very neat and tidy. All of the furniture was stained a dark brown or black and the floor was made of finely furnished wood. There were stairs to the second floor on the far right with a banister on one side. She leapt into the living room and twirled around on the balls of her feet. "Hey Papa, when's Mama supposed to come home?"

"She should be home any minute now," Natsu replied with a smile.

"I can't wait to see her again," she said as she ran into the kitchen where the shiny black stove, shiny black refrigerator, stainless steel sink, and dark brown kitchen table were. Several dark brown cabinets lined the walls both along the ceiling and the floor. "It's been so long."

"Yeah, a few days can feel like an eternity when your Mama's not here," Natsu said softly as he followed her into the kitchen.

"So then you miss her, too?"

He smiled and nodded. "Every minute of every day."

"So then why didn't you go with her?"

He ruffled her hair. "Someone had to look after you, kiddo."

She pouted as she tried to fix her messy hair, shooing away Natsu's rough and calloused hand. "Geez. I'm not a kid anymore, Papa. I can take care of myself. Besides, there's Uncle Happy and everyone at the guild. It's not like I'd be alone."

"I know, but it doesn't matter," Natsu replied. "Uncle Elfman asked Mama to go with him. It had been so long since the two of them went on a mission together. I think they needed to go alone."

Serafine sat at one of the kitchen chairs. "Okay."

Natsu went to the stove and turned it on. "So what's for lunch today?"

"How about some fish?"

"Yay, fish!" Happy cheered.

"I think you just made your Uncle's day," Natsu chuckled. He went into the top of the refrigerator and pulled out three frozen fish. "Coming up!"

Serafine sat and watched with a smile as her father cooked the three fish on a pan over the stove. Once one of them was thawed he threw it to a drooling Happy who immediately began gnawing at it. She giggled at Happy's swishing tail before turning back to her father. "Hey Papa, can you do it again?"

He looked at her over his shoulder with a quirked eyebrow. "Are you sure? Last time I did it you said it ruined the food."

"I know. Just be careful this time. I wanna see it, though."

A large grin spread across his face. "Alright, anything for my little girl!" He turned to the fish and lifted his right hand. Flames immediately surrounded his fist. "FIRE DRAGON JET STREAM!" he shouted as he pointed his index finger at the fish. A thin stream of flames shot from his extended finger and engulfed the fish. They bathed in the flames for a few seconds before Natsu quickly drew them back into his mouth. He slid the two fish onto two separate plates before placing them on the kitchen table. "Not bad, right?"

Serafine clapped. "Yay, Papa! That's still so cool! I really wish I could do that."

Natsu sat in his chair and picked up his lunch. "Give it time," he replied while tearing into his fish. "You'll get there."

Serafine sighed as she lifted her palm. As she focused on her flat hand, a small ember sprung to life. "But this is all I can do. It's kinda pathetic."

"You're just a late bloomer is all," Happy said.

"But I wanna be able to use magic like Mama and Papa," Serafine said with a look of sorrow. "How can I ever go on missions with them if I can't even use magic?"

"Hey, listen to me," Natsu said gently. "Just be patient. You will get there, I promise."

"You're just saying that."

"I'm really not." He then laughed. "Do you really think that you don't have some kind of awesome magic when your parents are such kick ass wizards?"

A small smile broke through the sorrow. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

"Exactly! So chin up, kiddo!" Natsu cried while pumping his fists."

"Yeah!" Serafine exclaimed while mimicking her father.

The three finished up their fish lunch in silence after that. However, Serafine still silently fretted in her mind. _'Why? Why can't I use magic like Mama or Papa? Why is it that all I can do is create a tiny flame that's barely strong enough to start a campfire? It's not fair.'_

The sound of the front door creaking open broke through the silence. "I'm home!" came a woman's voice.

Serafine and Natsu both immediately lit up.

"Mama!"

"Mira!"

The two shot up from the table and ran into the living room where Mira was standing with a large suitcase by her feet. Her long white, silky smooth hair was just as beautiful as ever. Her ponytail was braided and draped over her shoulder while her bangs still framed her face. She wore a light blue tank top and black tight pants that hugged her thin and shapely frame. She smiled brightly at her husband and daughter as her blue eyes sparkled. "Did you miss me?"

Natsu ran to her and picked her up, spinning her in the air. He gently placed her back on the ground and kissed her passionately. "You left?"

She giggled and slapped his shoulder. "Yeah right. Don't be a jerk."

"Mama!" Serafine cried as she leapt at her mother, wrapping her thin arms around her mother's waist. " _I_ missed you tons! So did Papa. He's just lying."

She knelt down and hugged her daughter tightly. "Oh, I missed you two as well."

Serafine pulled out of the hug. "How was your mission?" she asked with eager excitement.

"Easy as pie," Mira said with a wink.

"Yay! Mama's so strong!" Serafine exclaimed while throwing her arms into the air.

"You know it," Natsu said with his arms crossed over his broad chest.

Mira stood back up. "By the way, Elfman wants us to meet him at the guild."

Natsu raised his eyebrow. "Any particular reason?"

"He wants to see his niece."

"He could've come here, but alright," he replied. "How about it, Serafine? Wanna go to the guild?"

"Sure!" she said happily.

"Then that settles it! Once Mama gets all settled, we'll head out!"

* * *

The Fairy Tail guild hall. While it may have grown in size, while it may have seen members come and go, while the décor may have changed, the true spirit of the guild remained consistent. Inside of the towering building, the members of Fairy Tail were all busy talking, laughing, eating, drinking a lot, and looking for work. It was noisy but joyous. If things were any different, it just wouldn't be Fairy Tail.

The large, thick guild doors swung open as Serafine bounded inside. "Hey everyone!"

"Hello Serafine!" everyone in the guild greeted. Serafine was quite a celebrity in the guild since she was the only member of the next generation of Fairy Tail. Everyone loved having her around.

"She really is her father's daughter," Wakaba chuckled from his seat at the bar. His hair was almost completely gray. His signature pipe was still planted firmly between his taut lips. His face was far more wrinkled. All things considered though, he still seemed in decent shape.

"Yup, she's a Dragneel alright," Macao agreed from his seat beside his long-time friend and partner. His hair was a silvery blue and slicked back. His face was wrinkled as well and clean shaven. His silver necklace was still around his neck. His eyes still held a spark of fighting spirit.

Makarov turned around in his seat in between Macao and Elfman. His hair had almost completely vanished and his eyes seemed tired. He wore his Wizard Saint cloak around his small body. He gave a small smile and spread his arms. "There's Serafine! Come give your godfather a hug."

"Grandpa Maky!" Seraphine exclaimed as she ran towards the former guild master and gave him a big hug.

"Hey, what about your favorite uncle?" Elfman asked. Over the years, Elfman nearly grew as big as a mountain. He had trained relentlessly and now his entire body was bulging with massive muscles, meaning the only clothes that could fit him were an open green and yellow vest and gray sweatpants. His white hair was spiky and standing straight up as if he had been shocked with volts and volts of electricity. There was still a scar on his face from fighting the Beast all those years ago.

Serafine giggled and ran to Elfman, giving him a big hug but failing to get farther around than his sides with her hands. It almost looked like she had belly-flopped into a sea of muscles. "Hi, Uncle Elf! I heard you wanted to see us. What's up?"

"Does there have to be a reason for me to want to see my cute niece?" Elfman cooed as he stroked her head.

"Oh stop, you're making me blush." Serafine turned to Makarov. "So how are you feeling today?"

"Much better since you arrived."

She giggled as she pulled out of the hug. "You guys are too much." She looked around him and saw several empty mugs. She sighed. "Please don't tell me you've been drinking a lot again."

Makarov averted his eyes and put another mug to his lips. "Of course not."

"You're such a bad liar," she said as she snatched the mug away. "How are you gonna get better if you don't listen to Grandma Porly?"

"Since when did you become a party pooper?" Makarov groaned as he tried to take his mug back.

"No. No more booze," Serafine refused. "Hey Cana!"

From inside the guild's kitchen, Cana Alberona walked out. She was still a tall, brunette beauty who wore nothing but bathing suits all day. She was still a heavy drinker, but was far more selective on when she would partake in her liquor. When she wasn't doing an S-Class job, she liked helping out with the meals and tending the bar. "Hey there, Serafine. What can I do for you?"

Serafine waved the mug back and forth. "No more drinks for Maky. He's cut off."

Cana chuckled. "Alright, you're the boss."

"Since when?" Makarov gasped.

"You'd better just give up, Mas…I mean Makarov," Mira said with a smile as she walked over with Natsu by her side. "Once she's decided something, she won't let it go."

"I guess she got your stubborn side," Makarov mumbled under his breath.

A threatening aura surrounded Mira as she continued to smile. "I'm sorry, I couldn't quite catch that, former master. Would you care to repeat that?"

Makarov felt a shiver run down his spine as he shook his head vigorously. "It was nothing, I promise!"

"Good!" Mira said sweetly.

"Yeah, Serafine definitely got her mother's sense of responsibility," Macao said.

"And her father's boisterous demeanor," Wakaba joked.

"Watch it!" Natsu threatened. He then looked around the guild. "So has anyone seen that bonehead Gray today?"

"If memory serves, he's on an S-Class job with Wendy," Cana replied. "She's hoping to be S-Class this year, so she wants as much experience as possible to pass the Trials. Gray was willing to help her out."

"She should've asked me!" Natsu said while cracking his knuckles. "Icicle breath will just fill her head with _lies_!"

"Oh, no he won't," Lucy replied as she walked over to join the group. Her beautiful blonde hair was in a high ponytail, held in place by a navy blue ribbon. Her killer figure that attracted many gazes (and made her a top model in Sorcerer's Weekly alongside Mira) was rivaled only by her incredible magical skill as a Celestial Wizard. Since joining the guild thanks to Natsu and Mira, her abilities had gradually increased each and every year. She was another close favorite to become an S-Class wizard.

"Why are you taking his side?" Natsu asked.

"I'm not taking anyone's side. I just don't think you should make things up in front of your daughter." Lucy bent down and smiled. "Hello there, Serafine!"

"Hi, Auntie Lucy!" Serafine said. "I really like your outfit."

Lucy looked at the blue sleeveless shirt that clung tightly to her large breasts and slender waist and her black mini skirt. "Why thank you."

"Can you take me shopping again soon?" Serafine asked. She always loved shopping with Lucy.

"Of course. Anytime."

"Yay!"

"So where's Erza? I don't see her either," Mira said.

"A Guild Master conference," Makarov replied. "I always hated them, but she seemed fine with attending."

"Maybe because she takes the job seriously," Cana offered.

"That's too bad. I was hoping to see her," Serafine said. "When will she come back?"

"Tomorrow, most likely," Cana replied. "Why, did you need to ask her something?"

"I want her to give me another combat training lesson so that I can beat Papa!" Serafine said with a look of determination.

"I see," Cana laughed.

"So Lucy, you take any good jobs lately?" Natsu asked.

She nodded. ""Mhm. I finished one this morning. Gotta pay rent somehow."

"Feel like taking an S-Class job? I've been itching to do a mission for a while," he said with a big grin.

Lucy's face lit up and she nodded emphatically. "I'd love that!"

"Aw Papa, what about me? Can I come?" Serafine asked.

"Absolutely not," Mira quickly intervened. "You're far too young for an S-Class job."

She pouted, but did not reply. It's not like she didn't see that result coming.

"Let's go take a look!" Natsu said as he ran to the second floor stairs where the S-Class board of missions sat. Lucy was close on his heels.

"Please don't go on anything that will take too long!" Mira called out after him.

Natsu leapt up the stairs, stopped in front of the board and scanned the papers. "Alright then. Something good and short that will also let me blow off some serious steam."

Lucy stopped beside him. "Are you that pent up?"

"Nah, but I could really use an exciting mission."

She hummed as she looked over each sheet. "I'm not seeing anything promising."

"Yeah, me neither," he replied as he slumped more and more every second. "Damn." He then noticed that there was a mission missing from the board. "Hey, Cana! Did someone take a job from the mission board up here recently?"

"Mystogan stopped by earlier and took one, yeah," Cana called up the stairs.

"Man, I bet he took the big winner job," Natsu huffed.

Lucy patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay. Maybe another time. I appreciate the thought, though."

He looked apologetically at her. "Sorry, Lucy."

"I told you it's okay. I'll just take a regular mission later." She turned and headed down the stairs.

Natsu sighed as he walked down after her. _'I really did want a cool mission. One with lots of adventure and fighting. When was the last time I took an awesome mission?'_

Serafine pumped her fists. "It's alright, Papa! There will be other missions!"

He grinned at her. "Thanks, kiddo."

"Well enough of this standing around business," Mira said. "Let's relax and enjoy ourselves and not worry about work, okay?"

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, alright. Sounds good!"

* * *

The sun was beginning to set on the day as Natsu and Happy walked through East Forest on their way back to town.

"Man, I can't believe I almost forgot to pick up groceries," Natsu said as he walked with his hands folded behind his head.

"I never would have forgiven you," Happy said as he flew alongside Natsu.

"You could have remembered, too!" Natsu snapped.

"Mira would have gotten mad, too."

Natsu shivered as he remembered the last time he forgot to pick up the groceries after he had already been asked and reminded. "Let's not bring that up again."

"Do you have a list?"

"Of course I don't have a list. That's back home and I refuse to go back there without groceries."

"You're kind of a chicken, Natsu."

"Fine. You wanna go back home and get it?"

"No way! Mira would skin me alive!"

"Now who's the coward?"

"Then what are you gonna get?"

"A little of everything, I guess. Or at least the essentials."

"Yay fish!"

"More than just fish, you know. And since when are they essentials?"

"Fish are _everything_!"

"To you."

"Serafine likes them, too."

"But she doesn't worship the ground they can't walk on."

The two continued to bicker about fish and food until Natsu's dragon-like hearing picked up on a faint sound. It was a voice. He didn't recognize the voice, but it was close. He turned his head. "You hear that?"

"Hear what?" Happy asked.

"Someone's over there."

"Who do you think it is?" Happy inquired while turning the direction that Natsu was facing.

"I don't know, but let's check it out!"

"Aye!"

The two ran into the forest towards the sound of the voice. It continued to be faint as if they truly didn't want to be heard, but it couldn't escape Natsu's ears. He could still hear it and they were close.

Once they came upon a large clearing, Natsu stopped and hid behind some bushes. Happy picked up on the hint and flew to the ground beside him. They both peered over the bushes and into the clearing and were shocked by what they saw.

It was a man wearing a tattered dark blue cloak that billowed in the wind. His head and face were covered by a dark blue bandana and a green mask covering the bottom part of his face, respectively. His arms and legs were covered in tight bandages and he was wearing dark blue gloves and wooden sandals. Attached to his back were magic staves, held in place by a green strap. The man's face was directed towards the sky.

"It's Mystogan," Natsu breathed. "I wonder what he's doing here. He's supposed to be on a mission I thought."

"I must close it," Mystogan muttered. "I must find it and close it."

"What's he talking about?" Happy whispered.

"Shh! I'm trying to figure that out now!" Natsu hissed.

Mystogan's head turned left and then right before lowering back to straight ahead. "It's not here," he said softly. "If I don't find and stop this Anima, Magnolia will be doomed."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey there everybody! What a long time it has been! Before you ask: no, I didn't die. No, I didn't quit this story. Simply put life (aka work) kept me too busy to write. Sorry!**

 **But I do really like how this chapter ended up turning out so I hope you enjoy the next installment! Happy reading!**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

 _ **Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey**_

 **Chapter 2**

"Anima? What's an Anima?" Happy whispered.

"How should I know?" Natsu retorted as softly as he could. "I've never heard of it before." He narrowed his eyes at Mystogan's figure through the leaves and branches of the bush. _'What the hell did he mean that Magnolia would be doomed? What the hell is going on here?'_

Mystogan adjusted the cloth covering his face slightly before humming. "Where else could I look?" he said softly to himself. "I've searched the border thoroughly. It couldn't be somewhere _over_ Magnolia, could it? I would have easily sensed it. So then where…?" He turned to look towards the north, his back now towards the snooping Fairy Tail members. "This isn't good. I can't waste time searching like this. Magnolia's future rests in the balance."

"Natsu, what in the world is he talking about?" Happy asked quietly. There was a little fear in his voice and for good reason. "Why does he keep saying that Magnolia is in trouble?"

"I'm not sure," Natsu said as he stood up, "but I'm gonna find out!" He burst through the bushes and charged Mystogan.

"Wait, Natsu!" Happy hissed.

"MYSTOGAN!" Natsu roared.

Mystogan turned towards Natsu just as the Dragon Slayer grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off of the ground with one hand. "Ah, Natsu. I thought I sensed someone's presence watching me. Were you spying on me?"

"Never mind that," Natsu growled. "Start explaining. What the fuck are Anima and why do you keep saying Magnolia is doomed?"

Mystogan's eyes shifted away. "I'm afraid I can't explain that to you."

"Like hell you can't," Natsu said darkly as his grip tightened. "I have a family, you bastard. A wonderful wife and a beautiful little girl. You're gonna tell me right now why their lives are in danger or I'll roast you where you stand!"

Mystogan sighed and calmly put a hand on Natsu's tense fist. "Just let it go and let me handle things. Besides, even if I told you, you would never believe me."

"Try me. Mira taught me to be a great listener."

"It's complicated."

"I'm not a moron. Now stop stalling and talk. Last chance."

Happy flew over. "Why won't you try explaining? Maybe we can help."

Mystogan shook his head. "You wouldn't be able to find them or close them."

"Find what? Close what? Start making sense, damn it!" Natsu shouted as small embers danced around his body.

Mystogan remained still and silent for several moments before he hung his head slightly. "Very well. I'll explain."

Natsu put Mystogan down and crossed his arms. He said nothing, but his eyes screamed his impatience.

Mystogan put a hand to his chin. "Now how to explain…I've never considered what I would say in this situation."

Natsu's finger began to slowly tap against his muscular arm.

"Perhaps I should begin with what Anima are? No, that wouldn't work."

Natsu's finger began tapping faster.

"Or maybe there's no other way?"

Natsu's finger was practically a blur.

"But knowing your knack for confusion, maybe it would be too much to begin with that."

"Oh for the love of…just start!" Natsu snapped.

Mystogan was silent again. After a few moments, he hummed. "Yes, now I know where to start. I'll start with who I am."

"Why does who you are matter?" Happy asked. "We all know that you're Mystogan."

"That's nothing more than a façade so that I could easily navigate throughout Earth Land without conflict," Mystogan said. "In truth, I am not from this world."

"Not from this world?" Natsu repeated with a quirked eyebrow. "What are you, an alien?"

"No, not an alien. I come from a world called Edolas, a land that is completely parallel to Earth Land."

"Edolas?" Happy said. "I've never heard of it."

"I'm not surprised. I've gone to great lengths to ensure that this world remained as unaffected as possible by Edolas and its goals. And one such measure is finding and closing the Anima portals."

"And now we're back to these Anima things. What exactly are they?" Natsu asked as he tried to follow this bizarre story.

"This is where things get a little more complicated," Mystogan admitted. "Anima portals are created from a spell and are being used by the King of Edolas, Faust, to siphon away magic from Earth Land."

"You mean this Edolas place is stealing our magic?" Happy exclaimed.

Mystogan nodded. "Yes. You see, unlike Earth Land, Edolas does not have an endless supply of magic. It's an exhaustible resource and it's almost completely exhausted already. King Faust, with his sickening greed and thirst for magic power, created the Anima with no concern for what would happen to the people of Earth Land. He only cares for himself."

"That's terrible," Happy said.

"I agree. That's why I came to Earth Land. I wish to stop Faust's plan by closing all of the Anima from this world. For 21 years, I have scoured the land under the name Mystogan to look for the Anima and I have been able to find and close all that I have come across without much difficulty. However, I have noticed that they have been appearing more and more frequently and have been growing in size. I fear that Faust knows that I am working against him and is trying to keep me from succeeding in my mission."

"Okay, I'm starting to get the picture here," Natsu said while closing his eyes. "Now for the big zinger; how is Magnolia doomed?"

"Right," Mystogan nodded. "You see, most of the earlier Anima took small amounts of power at a time so that it was barely noticed here. However, starting in the year 782, the Anima started to expand in size. With this expansion, magic wasn't the only thing being taken. People and places were starting to disappear. They were being taken to Edolas to serve as a power source."

Natsu's arms fell limp as his eyes widened. "So then you're saying…?"

"Somewhere very near Magnolia is an extraordinarily large Anima," Mystogan interrupted. "If I don't find it and close it, Magnolia will be pulled into Edolas. The town and everyone in it will be turned into a lacrima to be used to power Edolas."

Natsu's jaw clenched. "Son of a bitch," he muttered. He looked desperately at Mystogan. "Isn't there anything we can do? Isn't there anything _I_ can do?"

"Natsu…," Mystogan said softly, clearly seeing the Dragon Slayer's concern and fear in his onyx eyes.

"Please, Mystogan. I have to protect Mira and Serafine. I can't let them meet that kind of fate. Let me help protect my family!" Natsu begged.

"There's nothing you can do," Mystogan said flatly.

"I can't accept that!" Natsu said as tears stung the corners of his eyes. He could feel frustration and hopelessness flooding through his body. "I can't let anyone else I care about die! Not again!" His head dropped. "Not again…"

Mystogan put a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "I know that you don't want to lose anyone like we did Lisanna all those years ago. I would tell you what you could do if I could, but there really is nothing. Since you're not from Edolas, you can't sense the Anima."

Suddenly, Natsu felt something click in his mind. "Lisanna…" He whipped his head up. "Mystogan, when did you say that the Anima first started to get out of control?"

Mystogan tilted his head slightly. "782. Why?"

Natsu's heart was beating faster and faster with anticipation. "And have you ever seen something get pulled into Edolas before?"

Mystogan nodded. "Yes."

"What does it look like?"

Mystogan thought about it. "It looks like very bright orbs of Ethernano flying into the sky."

"And what Mira said about that time…," Natsu whispered softly with a wavering voice.

"Natsu, what are you getting at?" Happy asked.

Natsu looked at Happy with a strange look of hope and fear. "What if Lisanna didn't die? What if she's in Edolas?"

* * *

"Natsu, just stop!" Happy begged as he flew as fast as he could after the Dragon Slayer.

Natsu wasn't about to obey. He was tearing through the forest as fast as his strong legs would allow him, barely noticing as branches and thorns scratched his skin. His breathing was heavy and his heart was beating wildly. His focus was on one thing; getting back home as soon as possible. "I have to tell Mira!"

"Tell her what?" Happy asked.

"That Lisanna might still be alive! What else?"

"Natsu, it's only a theory you have. We have no proof."

"If what Mystogan said was true then I think there's a really good chance."

"That's a really big 'if', Natsu."

Natsu could see the Dragneel home through the trees and somehow hastened his already breakneck pace. He broke through the tree line and tore across the grassy lawn and bounded up the even stone steps. Once he reached the door he swung it open and leapt inside. "Mira!"

Mira was washing dishes in the sink when she heard her husband call out her name over the rushing water. "In here, Natsu."

Natsu ran into the kitchen. "I need to talk to you. Now."

"Alright, alright," she replied. She turned off the water and reached for a drying rag. She turned to face Natsu with a smile. However, the smile was replaced with concern when she saw the look on Natsu's face coupled with his heavy breathing. Something was definitely up. "What's wrong?" She looked him over. "Where are the groceries?"

"I don't have them," he said quickly as he tried to catch his breath.

Her expression darkened. "You forgot the groceries _again_? Damn it, Natsu!"

"Forget about the groceries for a second!" Natsu exclaimed.

"And let you get away with forgetting again? Not a chance, mister."

"Look, I have something to tell you and it's really important!"

"Is that Papa?" Serafine called from the second floor. The sound of quick footsteps bounding down the wooden stairs echoed in the house as Serafine ran into the kitchen. She looked excitedly at her father. "Did you get my Honey Puffs like I asked?" She looked around excitedly like a hungry wolf, but couldn't see any signs of new groceries. She gave her father a disapproving glare. "You forgot to go shopping again, didn't you?"

"Would you guys forget the stupid groceries for literally five seconds?" Natsu begged as he ran a hand through his hair. "Mira, will you please just let me tell you what I need to tell you?"

Mira sighed. "Fine. But then comes your punishment."

Natsu was too concerned about telling Mira what he knew to comprehend the threat of punishment. "I need to tell you about what I heard from Mystogan."

"Mystogan?" she echoed. "When did you see Mystogan? He was supposed to be away on an S-Class mission."

"I saw him in East Forest."

"Okay. That's certainly odd."

"But there's more. I heard from Mystogan that…"

"Natsu!" Happy called out as he finally flew in through the door. He collapsed on the kitchen table and his exhausted wings disappeared. "Please just wait! Think this through!"

"Damn it, Happy! Stop trying to stop me!" Natsu barked.

"What's going on, Papa?" Serafine asked in confusion.

"Yes, what is this all about, Natsu?" Mira asked.

Natsu took a deep breath. "I overheard Mystogan talking about something called Anima. After confronting him about them, I found out that they're part of a magic spell from another world known as Edolas to steal Earth Land's magic."

Serafine giggled. "Papa's snapped."

"I have not!" Natsu retorted. "I'm telling the truth!"

"Okay, so Mystogan told you about these Anima things. Is that what has you all worked up?" Mira asked calmly as she put down the dish she was drying and began drying another.

"No, but it's a huge part of it," Natsu said.

"Then get to the point, Natsu. I'm very confused."

Natsu opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly found the words to be escaping him. "I…I think…I think…"

Mira sighed and smiled softly at Natsu. "It's okay, Natsu. Just breathe and let it out. I'll listen to what you have to say no matter how ridiculous it sounds."

Natsu hung his head slightly and controlled his breathing. Once he felt sure of what he was going to say he lifted his head and looked deep into Mira's soothing sapphire blue eyes. "Mira, I think that Lisanna may still be alive."

The sound of shattering ceramic split the air as pieces of the plate Mira had been drying scattered across the wooden floor. She was standing completely frozen, her eyes fixed on Natsu.

"Mira?" Happy asked slowly.

Mira's head slowly fell forward. Her gaze was shadowed by her hair. Her arms went limp. "Serafine, please take Uncle Happy and go to your room," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Serafine looked between her parents. "But Mama, what…?"

"Now!" Mira ordered loudly.

Serafine shrunk back slightly before obeying, darting up the stairs to where her room resided. Happy flew closely behind her.

"Mira, what's wrong? Why did you send Serafine upstairs?" Natsu asked.

Mira slowly approached him until she was standing directly in front of him. She then swiftly struck him across the face.

Natsu was stunned. He slowly turned his head forward and he could see her slender shoulders trembling. "Mira?"

Mira lifted her head and it was then that Natsu could see tears flowing freely like twin rivers down her cheeks and onto the floor. "Why would you say something like that to me?" she rasped.

"I don't understand why you're so upset," he said. "I thought you'd be happy."

"I was there, Natsu. I saw Lisanna disappear. Are you saying that I imagined it? That I imagined that indescribable pain of losing her that day? That all of that sadness that I felt, that I still feel, is a figment of my imagination?" Her voice was shaking with a mix of sorrow and anger.

"No, I'm not saying that. I know it was hard to see. It was hard on all of us to lose her."

"THEN WHY?" she shrieked as the tears intensified. "Is this your sick idea of a joke? Why would you want to bring up such painful memories after all this time?"

He grabbed her and pulled her into a strong embrace. He gently stroked her head to try and calm her. "Of course not. I would never joke about this. You know I wouldn't drag up those memories unless I was really sure. I would never do that to you. I love you and never want to hurt you. But I really do think that she may be alive. Will you please listen to the whole story?"

Her whole body trembled as she cried into his shoulder. Too gripped with sadness to speak, she nodded against his body. Her hands grabbed hold of his shirt and bunched the fabric tightly in her fists.

Natsu began to calmly recount every last detail that he heard from Mystogan. He told her everything exactly as Mystogan had said. He told her all about the Anima portals, Edolas, Mystogan's mission, the Anima near Magnolia, all of it. But he made sure to emphasize the part about the way that magic traveled between worlds.

Mira backed away slightly. "That…that does sound like what I saw."

"Right?" Natsu said as he gripped her arms. "Don't you think there's a chance that Lisanna didn't die, but instead somehow got sucked into one of those Anima and ended up in Edolas?"

She wiped her eyes. "I suppose there's a small chance. Still, it's such an insane theory."

"But there's a chance. See? There's some hope."

She looked into his eyes before resting her head on his broad shoulder. "I'm sorry I hit you," she muttered.

He smiled and shook his head while wrapping his arms around her frame once more. "Don't even worry about it. Actually, I think that was pretty laid back for one of _your_ reactions."

"Shut up," she chuckled and sniffed. She returned the embrace, resting her open palms against his back.

He kissed the top of her head. "So what do you think?"

"It's a nice idea, but I have no idea what to do about it. It sounds like Mystogan is the only one who can find the Anima. What could we possibly do?"

"Let me figure that part out."

They stayed in each other's arms for a while longer in complete silence when suddenly…

"I want to help you look!" The two looked towards the voice to see their daughter standing in the kitchen doorway. She had a determined and excited look on her face. "I want to help you look for Aunt Lisanna!"

"How much did you hear?" Natsu asked.

"The whole thing," she admitted.

"Young lady, you were supposed to be in your room," Mira scolded.

"I was gonna, but then I had to go to the bathroom as soon as I got upstairs."

"I didn't hear a flush," Mira said suspiciously.

"The urge passed."

Natsu laughed. "That's my girl!"

"Natsu," Mira scolded softly while gently slapping his shoulder.

Natsu smiled at his daughter. "Tell you what. If you want to help look then you can help out!"

"Yay! Thanks Papa!" Serafine said excitedly while jumping up and down. "It'll be like a family mission; me, Papa, and Mama searching the globe for an Animal that will lead us to Aunt Lisanna!"

"It's Anima, not Animal," Happy sighed as he floated into the kitchen. He looked apologetically at Mira and Natsu. "Sorry, she wouldn't listen to me."

Mira shook her head. "It's alright." She sighed. "What am I going to do with you two? Very well. We can all look for the Anima. Together."

"I'll go looking for Mystogan tomorrow and look for more information. Maybe he can give me a more general location for finding it," Natsu offered.

"I'll see if there's anything at the library that can help in the morning," Mira added.

"I'll go with you, Mama! I'm a great reader," Serafine said proudly.

"Then it's settled," Natsu said with his signature grin. "Tomorrow our mission will begin!"

"Yay!" Serafine cheered. "I can't wait!"

Mira shook her head and giggled. _'Like father like daughter, I guess. They're both so excitable.'_ She looked at the ceiling. _'Is it really possible? Are you really still out there somewhere…Lisanna?'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone! Welp...at least it hasn't been two months, right? This chapter was...I guess the nicest way to say it is-a challenge. It took forever to come up with an idea and then I had one. But then as I started to write it, I realized that it made no sense in regards to the consistency of the story. So I had to scrap it, revise the plan, and rewrite it. And of course all of this is happening while work decided to really pick up. BUT I PERSEVERED! I really wanted to get this chapter out to you sooner, but what can you do?**

 **Now, without further ado, please enjoy (I hope) the next chapter!**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

 _ **Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey**_

 **Chapter 3**

The Library of Magnolia. Once a small, one-story building that was often forgotten, this library was now a towering, majestic stone building that could be seen from afar like Kardia Cathedral. The expansion of the town sparked the decision to upgrade and with the upgrade all sorts of books from all over the world began flooding in, exposing the populace to all kinds of new information regarding culture and myth.

And it was in this library that Mira and Serafine sat at a table, stacks of books surrounding them on the table top. Some had been read. Some had yet to be read. Mira was sitting calmly, a small smile on her relaxed face as her eyes darted back and forth across the pages. Serafine, on the other hand, was sitting with her brow furrowed, frustration and a little boredom evident in her expression. Little groans escaped her throat every now and then as she flipped from page to page.

Mira quietly closed her book and sighed. "What a lovely story. It's too bad it didn't have any information on Edolas or the Anima portals, though." She placed it gently in a pile to her right which, evidently, was of all the books she had read that didn't contain any information that she was searching for.

Serafine slammed her book shut. "Mine has nothing either!" She dropped the text with a thud and scratched her head vigorously. "So annoying," she whined.

"We have to be patient, Serafine," Mira said calmly. "From the start we knew this would be a stretch. The chances of finding anything on this mysterious other world were slim to none. We can't get discouraged that easily."

Serafine folded her hands in her lap and pouted. "I know. I'm sorry, Mama."

Mira giggled and gently pet her pink and silver hair. "It's alright. If you're tired you can take a break." She motioned to all of the books on the table. "As you can see, we have a lot of reading to do and not a lot of promise to find what we're looking for."

She shook her head. "No way, I'm gonna keep helping! Papa is counting on me!"

Mira picked up another book in a pile and smiled sweetly at her daughter. "What a good girl."

Groaning, Serafine lazily picked up the book she had been reading and moved it to her pile of failures. She slid another new book from the piles around her and opened to the first page. She placed her chin on the table and began to read. "I hope Papa and Uncle Happy are having more luck…and more fun."

* * *

Deep within East Forest, Natsu and Happy were searching everywhere for Mystogan. They had been hoping to find him easily since he was looking for that Anima portal near Magnolia, but he was nowhere to be found. They had scoured the large forest with no indication of where he might be.

"Mystogan! Where are you? Mystogan!" Natsu called out, his hands cupped around his mouth.

Happy flew alongside him, looking around for any signs of the mysterious mage. "Natsu, I don't see him anywhere."

"He's gotta be here," Natsu said. "He's looking for the Anima portal nearby."

"But he tried around here already. Maybe he's searching elsewhere. Remember he doesn't know exactly where it is."

Natsu crossed his arms in irritation. "You're probably right. Goddamn it."

"Do you smell him at all?"

"Not a trace. Now I really think you're right. So where do we look next?"

Happy hummed. "He mentioned that it was near Magnolia, not in it. So maybe he's looking near the water behind the guild."

"It's worth a shot I guess. At least we can rule out searching the entire town now." The two turned to the east to return to the guild.

The guild hall was settled near the edge of Magnolia on a rocky cliff, so there was a shoreline there. It was one of the more accessible points if one wished to reach the water's edge. However, there were no beaches in Magnolia so the only attraction was fresh sea air.

When Natsu and Happy arrived behind the guild hall to the fairly decent sized field, they hoped to see Mystogan standing there. However, he was not there.

"Damn it. We were wrong again," Natsu complained. "Where is this guy?"

"I don't know," Happy said. "I really thought he might be here. But maybe he checked it out a long time ago."

Natsu plopped to the ground while crossing his legs and arms. "Then where else could we check? If he's not in East Forest and he's not by the water, then where? The mountains are too far west to be considered 'near Magnolia' so that has to be out, right? Maybe the cliffs…no, those are still considered part of East Forest and we already searched that place with a fine tooth comb. Man, I'm at such a loss! I hope the girls are having more luck than we are. If only I could smell him out…"

As Natsu thought out loud, Happy looked left and right along the rocky shore when a figure caught his attention to his left. It was far away and he had to squint to even remotely make out a shape, but he could clearly see well enough for he gasped and pointed. "Look, Natsu!"

Natsu turned in the direction Happy pointed. "What?"

"Look! Way down the shoreline on the rocks!"

Natsu squinted his eyes as he tried to see what Happy saw. Soon, he was grinning happily. Standing on the large, wet rocks less than a quarter of a mile from where they stood was a figure wearing green clothes with sticks behind its back. It was impossible to tell features beyond that, but the profile was too unique to be mistaken as anyone else other than…

"Mystogan! He is here!" Natsu exclaimed as he leapt quickly to his feet. "Let's go, Happy!"

Happy grabbed him by his shirt and hoisted him into the air. "Aye sir!"

The two flew towards the motionless Mystogan and landed beside him. The S-Class mage turned upon hearing someone approach. "Why if it isn't Natsu again. I'm surprised that you found me."

"We thought you'd be around town somewhere looking for that Anima portal," Natsu replied.

"Pretty astute," Mystogan complimented. "Now do you need something? I'm sorry, but I just don't have time to waste with you today. I must hurry and find the Anima. If I can't pinpoint its exact location then I can't close it."

"I'm not here to waste your time. I just want to know how I can go about finding the Anima," Natsu said.

Mystogan sighed. "Again with this? I thought I was clear enough yesterday; since you aren't from Edolas you can't possibly sense the presence of an Anima. You can't find them."

"Oh, you were clear. But I also clearly remember saying that I couldn't accept that. I refuse to believe that there's nothing I can do."

"But there isn't," Mystogan said with slight agitation. He turned on his heels and began walking back towards the small patch of trees nearby. "There is no Anima here so I'm looking elsewhere. I'm sorry, but we're done here."

Natsu huffed and ran to catch up with Mystogan. "If you're in such a rush at least let me help you look."

"That would be pointless. You would only distract me and slow me down," Mystogan said quickly.

"Bastard," Natsu hissed.

Happy quickly intervened before Natsu got any more heated. "Natsu has a sharp nose. Maybe if we knew what the Anima smelled like…"

"They have no such indicators. They simply give off magic power that, to people from Earth Land, cannot be identified."

"So that's how you can find them," Happy clarified.

"Then why is this one giving you so much trouble to find?" Natsu asked. "You've found and closed Anima before. What makes this one so special?"

Mystogan never stopped walking, but did look towards Natsu. "This Anima, as I mentioned before, is extraordinarily large. The magic power it's giving off is spread out over a large area. Until I can find a more exact location I won't be able to close it. And I must hurry." His gaze darkened as he faced forward. "Time is running out."

"It is?" Happy asked fearfully.

Mystogan nodded. "Yes. I fear that the Anima is going to open very soon. I must not dally any longer."

"How soon is soon?" Natsu asked.

"I couldn't possibly venture even the slightest estimation. Anima are completely unpredictable. They could open at any given time," Mystogan explained.

"Then what makes you think that time is running out?" Happy asked.

"The pressure it's giving off has begun to steadily increase; a clear sign that it is close to opening. However, I don't know how much longer this will continue before it does open."

"So where could you look next?" Happy asked. "You tried the water and East Forest."

"The location isn't necessarily a landmark," Mystogan replied. "It could be anywhere."

"One more question for ya," Natsu said. "How can you be so sure that the Anima portal isn't directly over Magnolia?"

"If it were directly over Magnolia then the pressure I would feel simply walking through town would be beyond measure," Mystogan answered.

"So that's what you're doing while you search," Happy realized. "You're waiting until you feel a pressure spike."

"Exactly."

"If this pressure is so intense, then why is it that we can't feel it?" Natsu snapped.

Mystogan sighed. "I don't have time for this," he muttered, but answered the question regardless. "Since you were born here and have never known what it is like to live with finite magic, you couldn't perceive the sensation of suddenly being surrounded by such incredible power. Your bodies are used to it in the same way that people used to cold climates adapt and become accustomed to such conditions."

"I get it," Happy said. "So it's kind of like knowing you were splashed with water when you're sitting by a river, but fish never really feel water being splashed on them because they're already surrounded by it."

"I…suppose," Mystogan said slowly as he tried to wrap his head around Happy's strange connection. However, he quickly shook his head of the thought and hastened his pace. "I will try the western border next. It's a large area to cover, so I don't have any more time to waste answering your questions."

"We haven't been wasting your time. We're just trying to understand and help out!" Natsu barked. "Why can't you see that?"

The two broke through the line of trees and into the outskirts of Magnolia when a voice hit their ears.

"Papa!"

Natsu and Happy stopped as Mystogan kept walking. They turned to see Serafine running towards them with Mira following behind her. "Serafine? Mira?" Natsu said with surprise. "What are you two doing here? Weren't you two at the library?"

Serafine leapt at her father, who quickly reacted and caught her. "I got tired of that place. It was too boring."

Mira giggled. "So much like her father. Although I give her credit; she held out longer than I expected. Truth be told, we were both coming up empty. Sorry that we were of no help."

Natsu huffed at the shot about his patience level, but brushed it off. "Don't worry about it. You tried your best." He put Serafine down and patted her head. "You both did."

"We really did," Serafine said with an enthusiastic nod as she turned towards Mystogan's retreating figure. "So that's Mystogan?"

"Yeah, that's him," Natsu said while narrowing his eyes. "He's refusing to let us help."

"Aw, but why not?" Serafine complained.

"Let's not get into it again," Happy said while shaking his head. "Natsu may burst from anger."

"Good call," Mira said. "So what do we do from here? Do we give up on the notion of finding the Anima?"

Natsu clenched his fists. "I don't want to, but…"

Mira sighed. "I think we have to stop trying, Natsu."

"But Lisanna…!"

"Natsu," Mira said sternly. "Believe me, I'm just as disappointed as you, but we have to face facts. We're powerless here. We don't understand Edolas. We don't understand the Anima. We don't have the ability to find them. So what else is there? I think we have to just let this go and let Mystogan find and close the Anima. It's for the best."

Natsu wanted to argue, but found himself at a loss for words. What could he say? Mira was right and deep down he knew it. But still…

"Screw that," Natsu said. "I can't accept this sitting back bull when everyone's in danger! I want to find that Anima, find Lisanna, and then close it to protect Magnolia!"

"And I can understand that, but the reality is we can't, Natsu."

Serafine watched her parents argue when something caught her attention. She turned to see Mystogan running as fast as he could off to the right. "Hey Papa! Mama! Look! Mystogan is running off."

Natsu looked and grit his teeth. "Aw, hell. He's trying to shake me while I'm distracted." He took off running after the mage. "It'll take a lot more than that to lose me, Mystogan!"

"Natsu, wait!" Mira called after him, but Natsu would not stop. She sighed exasperatedly. "Geez, that man." She ran after him with Serafine and Happy right beside her.

The four chased after Mystogan deeper and deeper into the woods until reaching the small cliff range on the eastern edge of the town. Natsu looked up to see Mystogan leaping from ledge to ledge with incredible athleticism as he climbed higher and higher.

"He's like a monkey," Serafine marveled. "Look at him climb!"

"You won't shake me!" Natsu roared as he began leaping from ledge to ledge.

"Natsu, for God's sake stay still!" Mira shouted after his shrinking figure. She groaned in annoyance as she leapt after her husband. "Happy, watch Serafine please while I fetch Natsu."

"Aye!" Happy called after her.

"Uncle Happy," Serafine said with a pleading look. "Carry me up there please."

"No way!" Happy cried. "Mira would kill me!"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssssse?"

"Out of the question!" Happy refused while crossing his arms in an 'x'.

Serafine huffed. "Fine. I'll climb on my own."

Happy grabbed her by the shirt and began flying her up with tears in his eyes. "You must get that manipulative side from your mother. She's so going to kill me for this."

Serafine smiled wide. "You're the best, Uncle Happy!"

At the very top of the cliff, Natsu stopped and looked both ways. "Damn it, where are you, Mystogan? I won't lose you."

"Natsu!" Mira scolded as she reached the top. She grabbed his ear and pulled. "Would you please just _stop_?"

"Owowowowowow! Mira, quit it!"

"Not until _you_ quit it!"

"Hey you guys!" Serafine called out as Happy let her small feet touch the top of the cliff.

Mira rolled her eyes. "Oh, for the love of…does no one listen to me anymore? I asked you to watch her, Happy!"

"I technically did," Happy replied sheepishly.

With Mira distracted but with a death grip still on his ear, Natsu proceeded to scoop Mira up into his arms and run after Mystogan. "I think he went this way."

Mira released his ear and gently beat his chest. "Natsu, put me down! Stop and put me down! This is getting ridiculous. You're acting like a child."

"Sorry, but I'm not quitting, Mira," Natsu said with a serious look.

"Hey, wait up!" Serafine cried as she ran after her parents.

Happy sighed as he flew after them. "What I wouldn't give for some fish and a nap right now."

* * *

Mystogan froze, panting as he looked up at the sunny and clear sky. His eyes darted quickly over the blue canvas. "It's not what I was looking for, but that doesn't change the fact that one is still here."

"MYSTOGAN!"

Mystogan turned to see the Dragneels running towards him. "I'm trying to remember a time when I didn't hear you calling my name, Natsu."

Natsu skidded to a stop by Mystogan and put Mira down. "Sorry, but you can't shake me off of you that easily."

"Shake you?" Mystogan repeated, confused. "I wasn't trying to shake you." He returned his attention to the sky. "There's an Anima here."

"You mean…we found it?" Mira asked softly as she looked to the sky. Was finding Lisanna possibly within reach after all?

"No, this is a different Anima. It's odd for multiple to be in the same area simultaneously, but this one is but a small one. A tiny fraction of the size of the one I seek."

"So are you going to ignore it?" Happy asked.

Mystogan shook his head. "No, I will close it. I will never ignore an Anima."

"Wait, before you close it," Serafine interrupted with a look of pure excitement on her face, "can you send us through?"

Mystogan looked at her as if she had suddenly sprouted five more heads and begun speaking another language. "Are you crazy? You want to go _through_ the Anima and into Edolas? Why in the world would you want to do that?"

"We want to look for Aunt Lisanna!"

Mystogan sighed. "I see. So that's what all of your hounding was about, Natsu. That's why you wanted to know how to find the Anima. You want to look for Lisanna. Still, it's out of the question. You don't even know if she is there. It's far too dangerous for a simple hunch."

Natsu stepped forward. "That's something for us to decide, not you," he said calmly. "To us, taking this opportunity to possibly find Lisanna is worth every risk."

"I refuse to…"

"What if we also went to stop Faust?" Natsu interrupted.

Mystogan was silent for a very long time. He certainly appeared to be thinking things over. And then he spoke. "So you would stop Faust's plan from Edolas while I worked to stop him here."

"Exactly," Natsu said with a nod. "So how do we get there?"

Mystogan was silent again as he continued to mull over the idea. After a while, he sighed. "Very well. Before I close this Anima, I will send you all through."

"Yay!" Serafine clapped. "Our adventure continues!"

"It never really got started," Happy sweatdropped.

Mystogan reached into his cloak and pulled out a small vile filled with small red, spherical pills. "Take this vile with you. It's filled with X-Balls."

"X-Balls?" Serafine echoed. "What are those?"

"These are small pills that, once eaten, will allow you to retain the ability of regenerating magic power even in Edolas."

"Handy," Natsu said as he took the vile. "How long does each one last?"

"Roughly a day."

Natsu grinned and stuck it in his pocket. "Works for me."

"Now before I send you," Mystogan began, "I need to warn you. Faust is powerful and has many resources and soldiers at his disposal. He is no easy foe to face. You'll also need to be on your guard while searching for Lisanna. You never know who's working for the King as an informant."

"Understood," Mira said with a nod. She could feel anticipation coursing through her like a hot fire. She couldn't contain her excitement much longer.

Suddenly, the sky began to break apart like a vortex. Trees, rocks, and grass all began being pulled upwards. The group looked up to see a dark spiral had formed in the sky. They could feel the wind picking up around them.

"Is that…?" Mira began.

"We're fortunate that this one is so small," Mystogan said. "If this was the large Anima, you all would have been sucked inside and turned into a lacrima before you knew what hit you." Mystogan lifted one of the staves from his back and pointed it at the group. It glowed a pale blue as they all began to levitate in the air. "Best of luck to all of you. And stay safe."

"You got it!" Natsu cheered as they rose higher and higher.

"Bye!" Serafine waved.

Mystogan watched them soar towards the open portal and narrowed his eyes. _'I truly hope that you can be successful, Natsu. For if you can stop Faust before the Anima opens over Magnolia, countless lives will be saved.'_

* * *

 **Things are starting to get exciting, aren't they? The Dragneels are on their way to Edolas. What awaits them? Find out soon in Chapter 4! Until then, my friends!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

 _ **Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey**_

 **Chapter 4**

It felt as if they had become weightless, but they could still feel a strange yet intense wind pushing against them from every direction as they rushed along through midair. Dark colors swirled around rapidly. Thin beams of what appeared to be pure white light rocketed past on all sides. At the far end of what could only be described as a tunnel, amidst all of the darkness, was a small speck of light which had to be the exit. The inside of an Anima; an experience that none of the Dragneels had had before. Nothing came remotely close.

Natsu snickered excitedly and his grin was wide. "This is _awesome_!"

"This is so much fun!" Serafine cried, echoing her father's excitement. Her arms were in front of her like she was a superhero flying through the air. "I wanna do this every day!"

"Such children," Happy sighed. Unlike the other two, flying like this was nothing new. He could do it whenever he wanted.

"It certainly is incredible," Mira said with a smile as she looked around. She couldn't believe that they were actually on their way to a parallel world; a world where Lisanna— _her_ Lisanna—could possibly be. Her heart was beating roughly in her chest, but she was trying desperately to not get her hopes up. This was a stretch, after all. "Say Natsu, I just had a thought."

"Eh? What is it, Mira?"

"While I'm glad we found a way to get to Edolas, how are we supposed to get back when we're done?"

Her question was met with silence.

"Natsu?"

"Mmmmm…no idea."

"Wh…What!?" she exclaimed.

"What?" he replied, confused by her reaction.

Mira shook her head as if she had heard him wrong. "You don't know how to get back home?" she cried.

"What? We'll worry about it later. I'm sure we can figure something out."

Mira slapped her forehead. "Honestly, Natsu. How can you be so carefree? What if we're stuck in Edolas for good now?"

"We'll get home, alright? No worries!"

"Yeah, Mama! No worries!" Serafine giggled.

Mira groaned. "Not you too, Serafine. Am I really the only one thinking about making it back home when all is said and done?"

"Oh stop fretting and enjoy the ride!" Natsu said happily as he thrust his arms and legs out emphatically.

"How long do you think this Anima is?" Happy asked, changing the topic.

"Well that light ahead is probably the exit, but it doesn't seem to be getting any larger," Mira observed. "I'd say a long time."

Happy's body sagged. "Aw man. I'm so bored. I just want to get there and fly under my own power again."

"Speaking of flying under your own power, we should take those X-Balls that Mystogan gave us while we have the chance," Mira suggested.

Natsu nodded as he reached into his pocket. "Good thinking." He pulled out the small vial and gently popped off the clear top. He rolled out four pills, placed one in his mouth and swallowed. Once he had, he passed one out to the other three. They, too, popped the pills into their mouths and swallowed.

"They don't taste like anything," Serafine said in disappointment.

"They aren't candy, so it makes sense," Happy said. "Still it would have been nice if they were fish-flavored."

Suddenly, the light at the end of the tunnel expanded rapidly and enveloped them in a blinding light. They shielded their eyes reactively with their arms and squinted through the whiteness. And as suddenly as the light had appeared, it disappeared and revealed a truly breathtaking sight.

The sky was pale green in color with white strips of cloud sporadically floating about. There were several objects levitating high up in the sky that appeared to be moons or planets of some kind. All around them were large islands of rocky terrain, purple grass, and thick trees with purple leaves—and the islands were suspended in the sky above the world's surface. Rivers wound through the sky with clear, rushing water, lifting up and diving down like a rollercoaster.

It was a world straight out of a fairy tale.

This was Edolas.

"This…I…I have no words," Mira breathed.

"It's beautiful," Serafine whispered as she looked around with wide eyes.

"It sure is," Natsu marveled.

"It is guys," Happy began, "but don't let the coolness of this new place disguise the fact that we're currently free falling towards the ground."

The three Dragneels blinked out of the trance they were in and looked down. Sure enough, they were barreling down towards one of the floating islands.

"Holy crap, we are falling!" Natsu shouted.

"What do we do, Mama?" Serafine cried as she reached for her mother.

Mira held her daughter close. "It's alright," she said calmly. Her entire body began to glow with a soft white light and in no time at all she was in her Satan Soul form. Using her bat-like wings, she was able to halt her and Serafine's fall.

Happy quickly grabbed hold of Natsu's shirt and used his own wings to carry him. "Gotcha, Natsu!"

"Thanks, little buddy," Natsu said, "but you could've said something earlier. What was that about?"

Happy shrugged. "I don't know. Suspense?"

Happy and Mira slowly dropped to the ground. Mira allowed Serafine to land on her feet before leaving her Satan Soul. Happy did the same with Natsu, but continued to hover on his wings.

"I can't get over this place," Natsu said while looking up at the enormous hovering mountain islands overhead. "It's so weird."

"It sure is a parallel world," Happy said.

"So what do we do now, Natsu?" Mira asked. "We have no idea where we are, which way to go, nothing."

Natsu tugged on his scarf and sniffed the air. "We'll just have to wing it, I guess. Although I think I smell the faint scent of other people."

"Which way?" Happy asked.

Natsu pointed in the direction of the smell. "I think that way."

"I agree!" Serafine said. "I believe in Papa's nose!"

Natsu snickered as he ruffled her hair. "That's my girl! Always believe in Papa!"

"We should get moving then," Mira suggested and the group began their blind trip through the unknown world of Edolas.

* * *

"I'm so tiiiiiiirrrrrrrrred," Happy groaned as he bobbed along in the air.

"We've seen nothing but trees and grass for, like, ever," Serafine chimed in. "Isn't there anything else here?"

Mira looked at Natsu's back as he strode along. His pace had not slowed and his shoulders had yet to slump. He still seemed to be walking with a purpose, as if he knew that he wasn't wrong in his choice of direction. But still, with no signs of other life to be seen so far, she couldn't shake her doubts. "Natsu, you're sure this is the way?"

Natsu looked over his shoulder at her and grinned wide. "Oh yeah, I'm sure. Don't you believe in me?"

She smiled softly at him and just like that her doubts were washed away. "You know I do. Mora than anything I believe in you, Natsu."

He returned the soft smile. "Glad to hear it. You always keep me going, Mira."

"Natsu…"

"Papa, I know I said that I believed in your nose, but I think it fooled you this time," Serafine said.

"Hey, don't go losing faith in me!" Natsu begged. "I swear this is the right way!"

"Prove it!" Serafine countered.

"I can smell something fresh baked in this direction!"

"Yay! Good job, Papa! I knew you could do it!" Serafine clapped.

Natsu nearly facefaulted. "That's really all it took to win you back over, huh?"

"Well I know that no food can get past Papa's nose!"

Mira giggled. "Too true."

"Alright, alright. Well at least you believe me again," Natsu huffed.

"I can't take this anymore," Happy rasped as he floated down into Serafine's arms. "How much farther until the food, Natsu?"

Natsu sniffed the air. "Should be just past these trees here."

The Dragneels pushed through a thick patch of bushes on the side of the path they were walking and stepped in between two tree trunks. A sudden breeze whipped about as they stood looking at the view. They were in fact on top of a slight hill. Looking down they saw a small village made of simple wood tucked away in a small clearing. Puffs of clear white smoke from firewood blanketed the sky directly above. A thin dirt path wove through the village and out either side.

Natsu whiffed the air again and hummed with delight. "Smell that? That's the cooked meat and baked bread that I smelled."

"Civilization!" Happy cheered as he rose from Serafine's arms and flew in circles. "We're saved!"

"At least we're not in the wilderness anymore. Well done, Natsu," Mira complimented.

Natsu snickered and scratched the back of his head. "Oh stop. It was nothing."

"Yay for Papa!" Serafine exclaimed as she hugged her father.

Mira smiled warmly at Natsu's grinning face as he laughed with Serafine. _'I suppose I should just relax. Natsu is so reliable that there's nothing to fear. He'll handle things with a smile on his face and a fire in his heart. He'll look out for us. I believe in him. I trust him with my whole being. Everything will work out fine because of him. I know it.'_

"Well let's not keep our stomachs waiting!" Happy said as he began flying towards the village. "Lunch, ho!"

"Wait up for me, Happy!" Natsu called out as he chased after him.

"Off we go!" Serafine cried as she followed behind her father.

Mira sighed and chased them with a smile. "Honestly, you three! Here we are in a phenomenal parallel world, yet you can still only think about food!"

"Don't worry, we remember why we're here," Natsu promised, "but no one said we shouldn't recharge first from all that wandering!"

"Fair enough."

They entered the village, but immediately froze once they saw the people. They were dressed in rag-like, filthy, colorless clothing. Their shoes had holes in them as they trudged through the streets. But the most noticeable feature of these people was their expressions. Each and every man, woman, and child had the exact same look—a look of sadness and defeat.

"What the hell?" Natsu muttered.

"Everyone looks so sad," Serafine noted as she scanned the area. "They look like they've given up on life."

"What could have happened here?" Mira asked.

Natsu clenched his fists. "I've got a gut feeling that this is that Faust freak's doing."

"The King of Edolas?" Happy asked. "Why do you think that? Couldn't it just be that these people are impoverished?"

"It could be. But it's just what Mystogan said about him. I don't know. It just feels like more than poor fortune."

"We could ask," Serafine suggested. "You know, instead of just making assumptions."

"Worth a shot."

The Dragneels slowly walked through the village. Everyone who looked their way immediately turned away and shuffled off as if making eye contact or even interacting would turn them to stone.

"They seem afraid," Mira whispered softly. "Maybe you're right, Natsu; maybe it's more than just being poor."

"They don't even want to acknowledge us," Happy said.

"Definitely weird," Natsu said, his senses on full alert. Something didn't sit right about this village, yet he didn't sense any danger.

As they walked, they passed the place where the smell of bread was wafting from. Standing at the counter of the small, one room shop was an old woman. Her hair was messy as it sat in a bun atop her head. Her clothes were old, worn, and torn, but were clearly a bright and vibrant pink at one time. Her skin was dirty and wrinkly. Her arms were folded behind her back as she stood completely still.

"It wouldn't hurt to ask one of the locals for information," Mira whispered in Natsu's ear.

Natsu nodded and made his way towards her. "Um…hello."

The old woman smiled slightly. "Hello good sir. What can I do for you?" Her voice was weak and raspy. "Can I interest you in some bread?"

Natsu dug into his pocket and pulled out a few Jewels. "Yeah, we'd like some. And some information if you wouldn't mind."

The old woman slowly lifted her hand to catch the Jewels. She sifted through it as if to count it. She took a quick breath and pocketed the money. "Of course, of course! Anything for such gracious customers." She bent over and pulled out four loaves of bread. She placed them on the counter and motioned for them to take the bread.

"Thank you very much," Mira said as they all took their bread. "Now about the information…"

"Yes, what would you like to know?" she asked.

"For starters, did something happen here?" Mira asked.

The old woman tilted her head in confusion. "I'm sorry, dear? Whatever do you mean?"

"Why does this place look like this?" Mira clarified.

The old woman frowned. "You mean broken down? Disheveled? Unkempt? Filthy?"

"No, I didn't mean…"

"Outsiders should watch their tongues," the old woman grumbled. "This place has been like this for years, ever since King Faust's greed blossomed. How rude of you to act so oblivious."

"Hey, she wasn't trying to insult you," Natsu growled as he slammed his palm on the counter, nearly snapping it in two. "Look, we're not from here, alright? We know nothing about any of these places. We're just trying to understand."

The old woman huffed. "Why would you care about learning anything about this village? When have the wealthy ever cared for us? They just turn a blind eye."

Natsu's eye twitched. "Look here…"

The old woman met his gaze with a hard expression of her own. "Hoh? Have I said something to offend you? My apologies, sir." Her tone was thick with sarcasm.

Natsu's hands became engulfed in flames. "Would you cut out your shitty attitude? We just wanna ask some questions and learn what we can, but you're making it damn hard, you old hag!"

"Natsu!" Mira scolded. "I'm not insulted, so take it easy!"

The old woman gasped as she stumbled back. She pointed a crooked, boney finger at Natsu. "Your…your hands, they…"

He lifted an eyebrow. "What? It's just my magic."

The old woman froze. "You…you can use magic? But…how can you do that without a magic tool?"

"Magic tool?" Natsu repeated.

"It's how magic is used for practical use here. How can you not know that?"

Natsu took a deep breath. "Assume we don't know anything. Now can you tell us some things without the attitude?"

The old woman nodded and motioned everyone inside. "Very well. Quickly now, before anyone sees."

They did as they were told. "Why shouldn't we be seen?" Happy asked.

"We're a suspicious people," the old woman answered as she pushed on the back wall of her shop. A hidden door appeared as it swung open. On the other side was a very tiny room. There was very little light inside, but enough to see a small table and chairs around it. They followed the woman inside and she closed the door behind her. They all sat in a chair and the old woman sighed. "If we ever see an unfamiliar face, we immediately assume it's a spy for the kingdom. Our situation has made us wary and unwelcoming. Seeing me talk to you could prove bad for business."

"It's like what Mystogan said," Natsu said quietly to Mira. She nodded in response.

"That also explains why everyone was looking away from us," Serafine added.

"Now what do you need to know?" the old woman asked.

"We'll get right to the point. We're looking for someone," Natsu said.

"Hoh? And how could I possibly help with that?"

"Well she's a wizard, so she's probably in a guild here. Where could we look?"

The old woman simply stared at Natsu before resting her hands on the table. "I see. So you really know nothing then."

"What do you mean?" Serafine asked.

"Guess I have no choice. I'll have to start at the beginning," the old woman said. "Now listen carefully, whoever you are. For centuries, magic has flowed through this land. People harnessed its wondrous power using magic tools. Day to day activities—chores, work, travel—became far simpler. Fires and lamps were fueled by it. Carts could race across long distances in no time at all. Water was pumped from fountains. Even guilds formed as a form of work. However, magic here is a limited resource. People knew that, but chose to ignore it. There were no signs of it disappearing and it was too beneficial to decrease usage.

"But then King Faust and his infinite greed reared their ugly heads. He wanted all the magic power this world had to offer. He siphoned all of it, every last drop. Magic became incredibly scarce. The magic tools that to some had become peoples' livelihoods saw a hefty increase in price. If you wanted to replenish magic, that cost a pretty penny as well. Soon, small villages like this one struggled to stay afloat. We could no longer survive without magic. People couldn't work, making food became difficult due to a lack of irrigation, and no travelers could easily pass through to buy merchandise.

"At the same time King Faust began sucking up all the magic power, he passed a new law. King Faust put a ban on the creation or existence of magic guilds. They used too much magic power and he couldn't have that. On that day, almost all guilds were immediately disbanded, which gave the economy yet another hit as a lot of people were removed from work. However, there were a handful of guilds that did not heed this law. They became rogue guilds that did everything they could to stay in business. This, as I'm sure you can imagine, did not please the King. Without a moment's hesitation, he deployed his troops. Guilds fought with everything they had, but to no avail. One by one they were forcibly torn apart. Not a single guild was left standing. Every member of those guilds was imprisoned for defying the King."

Natsu stood up. "Every guild? Every member?"

The old woman nodded. "Yes. So you see, your friend that you are looking for is either imprisoned or possibly worse…"

Natsu clenched his fists. "Damn it. So Lisanna is probably in trouble then."

"Where are they being imprisoned?" Mira asked, resisting the overwhelming urge to cry. Had they really traveled all this way just to find out that Lisanna was arrested?

"In the capital," the old woman replied. "I cannot be more detailed than that unfortunately."

Natsu took a deep breath. Serafine looked up at him. "What are we gonna do, Papa?"

He looked at her and smiled. He gently pet her head. "Isn't it obvious? We're gonna go storm the capital!"

Serafine beamed at her father. "Right!"

"Hold on!" the old woman crowed. "You're planning on going to the capital? That's suicide! King Faust will surely arrest you once he finds out what you are!"

Natsu gave her his signature grin. "Allow me to let you in on a little secret. We're not here just to look for our friend." He leaned forward over the table. "We're gonna take down this King Faust bastard and stop him from wreaking havoc. That's a promise!"

The woman stared at the four strange travelers as if they had suddenly sprouted another pair of legs. "You…are going after King Faust? That's worse than suicide! That's insanity! You must be joking!"

Serafine and Mira stood as well and bowed to the old woman. "Thank you so much for your knowledge and your time," Mira said softly. "We truly do appreciate it."

"Aye!" Happy said.

"See ya around, old hag!" Natsu said with a wave as he turned to the wall. He pushed it open and walked out with Serafine, Mira, and Happy following behind.

The old woman kept her eyes fixed on the retreating figures. After they were out of sight, she closed her eyes and chuckled. "Those kids are simply mad. But who knows? Maybe we need a little madness to pull this world out of despair."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

 _ **Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey**_

 **Chapter 5**

"Man, Papa. You sounded so cool before."

Natsu eyed his daughter with a tick mark on his forehead. "What are you saying? That your Papa isn't cool anymore?"

Serafine crossed her arms. "Not right now."

Natsu shook his fist. "Why you little…"

"Now now," Mira said calmly. "Let's not get too heated."

"She started it!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Natsu, how old are you?" Happy snickered.

Natsu groaned while scratching his head. "Look, I'm sorry, alright? I didn't think it all the way through."

"No kidding," Serafine murmured under her breath.

"Oh, now you're asking for it!" Natsu bellowed.

Mira stomped her foot as a menacing aura surrounded her. "Natsu, stop threatening your daughter. Serafine, stop provoking your father."

"Yes, ma'am," the two Dragneels mumbled.

"I can't hear you."

"Yes, ma'am!"

She smiled cutely, changing demeanors faster than either Natsu or Serafine could blink. "Much better."

Happy shrugged his tiny shoulders. "Now that that is out of the way, maybe we should focus on the actual problem at hand? After all, we're still hopelessly lost."

Yes, the Dragneel family was in fact lost. Since leaving the small village, Natsu led the way with a triumphant air about him. He was fired up to kick King Faust's ass, free the wizards of this world, and find Lisanna. Of course, in all of the excitement, he and everyone else soon realized something very important; none of them knew where to go to find the Capital. And now they were standing in yet another thick forest with no signs of civilization anywhere. They had ventured so far that even Natsu couldn't sniff out the village they had just came from.

"If we knew more about this world, we could look for landmarks," Mira said while tapping her chin. "Maybe we could spot a building?"

"What building?" Natsu asked.

" _Any_ building," Mira replied. "We just need to find people at this point and get some directions." She looked to Happy. "Feel like giving it a shot?"

Happy saluted. "Aye!" he exclaimed as he flew high into the sky above the canopy of the trees. He thoroughly scouted the area.

"See anything?" Serafine called up to him.

Happy turned in circles before sighing. "Nope. Not a thing. We may as well be in the middle of nowhere."

"Well it was worth a shot," Natsu groaned.

"What do we do now, Mama?" Serafine asked.

Mira hummed. "Let me think…"

"Hey, what about me?" Natsu asked while pointing to himself.

Serafine huffed. "You had your chance."

"Teenagers…"

"Oh? What's this now?" came a rough voice off to the group's left. They turned to see a middle age couple walking towards them. The man was tall and broad. His body was strong, pushing against the fabric of his dark brown, rough leather vest and dirty slacks. His arms were thick and hairy, like two fuzzy tree trunks; much like the two actual tree trunks tucked under each arm, held in place by massive and work-worn hands. His face was stern with a tidy black goatee dressing his powerful jaw. His gaze was hidden underneath the shadow of the brim of his straw sun hat, but it was clear that he was analyzing them.

The woman beside him seemed like a doll in contrast to her large companion. She was slim and pretty with clear green eyes and silky, messy blonde hair tied up in a bun. While she was thin, she was clearly strong, as she was carrying a rather large bundle of logs in her arms. Her cloth, cream colored dress was just as dirty as her friend's pants. She had a look of surprise on her face as she looked over the strangers before her.

"Travelers?" the woman asked quietly with a smooth and comforting voice.

The man shook his head. "In these woods? Unlikely."

"Merchants?"

"Coming from where? There's too much poverty in this area."

"Then who could they be?"

"Beats me." He strode towards the Fairy Tail wizards. "You there! What might you be doing in these parts?"

"Sorry," Mira spoke up quickly. "You see, we left a village not too long ago, but we ended up getting lost. We don't know where we are."

The man hummed. "Lost, eh? Guess that means you are travelers. But not many people are stupid enough to get lost in these woods. Matter of fact, most people steer clear altogether. Never know what could happen out here."

"We're very unfamiliar with this area as you probably could have guessed," Mira said with a warm smile. "We hadn't the slightest idea that these woods were so dangerous."

"Will you help us?" Serafine asked, mimicking her mother's calm tone.

The man sighed and bent forward. "Help you, eh? Help you do what?"

"We want to get to the Ca—." Serafine was quickly silenced by her mother's hand.

"We were hoping that you wouldn't mind showing us the way to a nearby town. If it's not too much trouble, that is," Mira said, the same smile on her lips.

The man raised an eyebrow as he straightened up. "You need a guide out of these woods, eh?"

"I suppose we could let you follow us to our village," the woman piped up. "I don't see the harm."

"Oh thank you!" Mira said while clapping her hands.

The man turned on his heel. "Alright, stick close. We won't be slowing down for ya." With that he walked off towards the woman and the two began walking. The Fairy Tail group followed closely as instructed, but kept enough distance so as to not be directly behind them.

"What gives, Mama?" Serafine asked. "Why didn't you just ask him where the Capi—?"

"Shh," Mira quickly said, her voice barely audible. "Keep your voice down when speaking of the Capital."

"But why?" Serafine asked quietly, obeying her mother's word.

Mira's smile was gone and her eyes were scrutinizing as she looked around. "The man said these woods were dangerous. Not only that, but based on what we heard from the old woman, the Capital has spies everywhere. And spies don't always have to be human."

Serafine gasped as she whipped around.

"Don't be so obvious," Natsu said softly, his gaze very much like Mira's. "If there is someone watching us, don't let them know we're onto them."

Serafine snapped her head forward and gulped.

Natsu put a hand on her head and smiled gently. "Don't be afraid, alright? Your Mama and I will keep you safe. Don't you fret."

"I'm not afraid," Serafine assured as she clenched her fists, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"That's my girl."

"So we can't talk about the Ca…I mean the 'big place' because someone might be listening in and could alert the Ki…I mean the 'big baddy' that we're coming for him," Serafine theorized.

"Exactly," Mira said. "Plus, we just met these two. While they've agreed to lead us to their village because they think we're simple lost travelers, there's no guarantee that they aren't in some way affiliated with the 'big place'."

Serafine's eyes gleamed. "Wow. You're incredible, Mama! I never would have thought of that."

"Mira's impressive," Happy nodded. "She's super S-Class!"

The Fairy Tail members followed the rest of the way in silence. After roughly an hour the couple led them through the trees and to the edge of a small canyon. Below, they could see a rather large village nestled in the bottom of the canyon. Small settlements had been built into the side of the canyon, but they were only small huts, most likely for guard posts. Along the canyon sides were also stone stairs fashioned from the rocks themselves. The couple ushered them down the steps to the village.

"Well, we're here," the man said.

"Welcome to Sunkiss Village," the woman said.

Mira bowed. "Thank you for leading us out of the woods. You've shown us such kindness."

"Think nothing of it," the man said. He walked into the village with the woman following close behind.

"Well now that we're out of the woods, what now?" Happy asked.

"We gather information," Mira said. "We simply can't afford to leave this village without a plan and an idea of where we're going. Otherwise we'll just end up lost again."

"So step one is to get a map I guess," Natsu said.

"That would probably help the most, yes."

"Once we have that we can pick a route," Serafine added.

Mira smiled at her daughter. "Exactly."

"Alright then, let's start looking," Natsu said as he sniffed the air. "I can't say why, but there's something unsettling about this village. The sooner we move the better."

Mira nodded. "Right."

The four began cautiously exploring the village for a map or any other form of information. Natsu was on high alert as his eyes darted from place to place, never resting for more than a second. Serafine looked at her father. _'I've never seen Papa so on edge before. He must really feel uncomfortable here.'_ She tried to find anything suspicious, but this place looked like a normal village. She couldn't find anything that would be alarming. _'What could make Papa feel like this? He's so strong, but he still seems…worried.'_

"Hey!" Happy exclaimed as he pointed towards a small wooden stand. "That place looks like it has information."

Natsu nodded as he jogged ahead. The short stand counter was covered in rolls of parchment, strange devices, and many other things that he didn't even recognize. His eyes wandered over every item in confusion before resting on the eerily smiling face of the man behind the counter.

The man tilted his head and lifted his arms in a welcoming manner. "Good day, sir! What can I help you with on this fine day?"

 _'This guy's even creepier than that old lady from before,'_ he thought as Mira, Serafine, and Happy approached behind him. "You got a map of some kind here?"

The man clapped loudly. "A map! A map! You would like a map!"

Natsu took a slight step forward. "Yes, a map! That's what I said, didn't I?"

"You certainly did, sir!" he replied with a laugh.

"Then mind answering?"

"Why of course! I would be happy to answer your question, dear sir!"

 _'This must be the reason Papa was getting a bad feeling. He must've known that he'd have to deal with this clown,'_ Serafine thought as she squirmed in place. This man was the very definition of creepy.

"So what kind of map are you looking for?" the man asked. "A map of the town? The best places to eat? The best date spots? The best fishing spots?"

Happy was about to ask for the map of fishing spots before Natsu quickly lifted his hand, signaling the cat to keep quiet. "We were looking for a map of all of Edolas, actually," Natsu answered.

"Oh my! How exciting! You must be planning to travel!" the man exclaimed while dancing about. With nearly inhuman speed, he grabbed a roll of parchment from underneath the top of the counter and offered it to his customers. "Here you are, dear sir! A map of the whole land of Edolas as requested!"

"Th…Thanks," Natsu said as he cautiously took the scroll. "How much?"

"Consider it my gift to you, dear sir! Best of luck with your travels!" the man said, bending his body in strange ways with the same smile splitting his face.

"Much appreciated," Natsu said as he quickly ushered everyone away.

"I think that man is seriously deranged," Mira muttered under her breath.

"Don't look at him. Just keep walking," Natsu hissed.

The man watched his customers leave with the same smile before his eyes narrowed. "Interesting. How interesting! I never would have believed it, but I saw it! I saw it with my own two eyes! There's no mistaking it! I must report this immediately."

"So now that we're away from that guy, let's look at the map, Natsu," Happy said, hovering over Natsu's shoulder.

"Yeah, okay," Natsu agreed. He undid the string holding the parchment together and let the paper fall open. He held both ends and began to examine it, but was immediately puzzled. "What the hell is this?"

Mira looked at the map and her eyes widened. "This can't be…"

"What? What are you guys talking about?" Serafine asked.

"Why is there only one piece of land? There's no way Edolas is that small of a place. And what's with the 'X' and dotted line?" Happy asked while tilting his head.

Natsu crumpled up the parchment and burned it with his fire. His eyes were fierce as the veins in his head throbbed. "That guy played us," he growled. "He gave us a freaking kid's treasure map!"

"Maybe he made a mistake?" Happy offered.

"I find that hard to believe," Mira said with a shake of her head. "Call it paranoia, but I fear that man had every intention to give us a false map."

"But why? Why would he do that?" Serafine asked, watching the ashes from the map flutter to the ground and dance in the wind. "I mean, the map was free after all. What does he gain from doing that?"

"I don't know, but I have a mind to ask him," Natsu said while cracking his knuckles.

Mira looked over her shoulder and gasped. "He's…he's gone!"

The group turned to see that the strange man had vanished from his stand.

"Where did he go?" Serafine asked.

"I've got a bad feeling," Natsu muttered.

"You there!" The group whipped around to see a small group of soldiers approaching them. They wore dark blue tailcoats with light blue trim and tan loose pants. Covering their arms and their calves were blue pieces of armor. On top of this armor were silver shoulder and elbow pads. Silver armored boots were their footwear and black gloves were on their hands. Their heads were covered by bulbous, shell-like helmets with attached face masks to hide all but their eyes. Printed on the helmets, as well as on large pins on their left shoulders, was a strange anchor-like symbol. In their hands were long, black shafted spears. "Stay where you are!"

Natsu and Mira stood protectively in front of Serafine. "What do you want?" Natsu barked.

The soldiers fanned out and held their spears in front of them. One of the soldiers gasped and pointed. "Look! On his shoulder! So the reports were true! It's the mark of Fairy Tail!"

"So there were some that avoided arrest," another soldier growled.

"Maybe they escaped. They are infamous for their trickery," another offered.

"Who cares about that? Put your hands up!" another ordered. "By order of King Faust, you are under arrest, wizards of Fairy Tail!"

Natsu chuckled. "Yeah. Like we're gonna go quietly." He quickly scanned the soldiers. "Only thirty in number, Mira. Whaddya say? Feel like teaming up?"

Mira stepped forward. "I always love teaming up with you, Natsu. Let's do this. Happy, watch over Serafine for us."

"Aye!" Happy said as he hovered close to Serafine's shoulder.

Natsu's hands became engulfed in fire. "Then let's rock and roll!"

The soldiers gasped and stepped back. "How is he doing that? I don't see a magic item."

"There must be one somewhere. Don't worry about that for now. Attack!" With the order given, the soldiers charged with a cry. The tips of all their spears lit up with bright white light.

In a flash of dark light, Mira swiftly took her Satan Soul form. She burst forward, knocking three soldiers away with a simple thrust of her palm.

Natsu snickered as his flames grew larger. "I've been itching for a good fight! Here's hoping you guys aren't just the warm-up! Here we go! FIRE DRAGON FLAME BURST!" A ball of flames shot from Natsu's hands and crashed into the ground. It burst apart into smaller fires and slammed into the bodies of ten soldiers. With cries of pain they fell to the ground, unconscious. Through the smoke of his fire, Mira shot out like a rocket, slamming the bodies of five more soldiers with a swing of her tail.

Serafine watched in awe. "They really are amazing."

"They can't be beat, especially when fighting together," Happy nodded. "They always have each other's backs."

Serafine kept watching as her parents were handling the soldiers with ease. Her body itched with the urge to join in. With a beaming smile and a giggle of excitement, she ran forward.

"Wait, where are you going?" Happy called out as he chased after Serafine. "Seriously, is your goal in life to give your mother reason to kill me?"

Serafine spotted a soldier standing off to the rear. She immediately ran to him. "I can handle myself. Papa trained me after all." She lunged forward, prepared to land a kick to the soldier's face.

However, the soldier could see her coming. He turned to her and pointed his spear at her. "Take this, Fairy Tail wizard!" A beam of magic shot towards Serafine.

Serafine gasped. She had no way to block or dodge.

Suddenly, as if through teleportation, Natsu was standing between the two. He held up his hand as the beam struck his palm. Smoke billowed from his slightly burnt skin, but Natsu's face showed nothing but rage, veins throbbing in his forehead. "You would dare attack _my_ daughter?"

The soldier cowered and stepped back. "H…Help! I need back up!"

"Call for as much back up as you want!" Natsu bellowed as flames erupted around him and lashed out at all of the remaining soldiers. "IT WON'T SAVE YOU FROM ME! FIRE DRAGON LASHING WHIP!" The flames pushed all of the soldiers out of the way, sending them flying far away with cries of fear. He panted as smoke wafted from him, his anger slowly subsiding.

"Serafine!" Mira cried as she left her Satan Soul. She ran to her daughter, who was sprawled out on the ground, and knelt beside her. "Are you alright? What were you thinking rushing in like that?"

Serafine sat up and hung her head as she pouted. "I wanted to help. I'm not a kid anymore."

"We know you're not a kid, but that was reckless," she replied. "Your magic hasn't fully developed yet. Fighting large groups like that when you don't understand their fighting abilities is dangerous."

"Yeah, I get it," Serafine huffed as she got to her feet, "but it's not fair that I can't help you fight. You guys are incredible and I'm useless."

Mira hugged her. "You're not useless. Give it time and you'll be a wonderful wizard."

"Yeah, okay," she said quietly.

"We should leave," Natsu said as he searched for any other enemies.

"But we still don't have a map," Happy said.

"Good point," he said as he walked over to one of the knocked down soldiers. He grabbed him by his collar and hoisted him off of the ground. "How do we get to the Capital?"

The soldier groaned and laughed softly. He answered with a raspy voice, "You…want to go to the Capital? Heheh. What are you, idiots?"

"Just talk," Natsu threatened as embers danced around him.

The soldier's eyes widened. "J…Just head North by Northwest from here. You can't miss it." His eyes then narrowed mockingly and he laughed nervously. "But you won't get more than two feet inside before you're arrested. The soldiers stationed there are far stronger than any of us were. You won't stand a chance, Fairy Tail."

Natsu leaned in close. "Watch us." He slammed his fist into the soldier. The man slumped in his grip before Natsu dropped him. He turned to the others and smiled. "Well I know which way to go now! Whaddya say we head out before anything else goes wrong, eh?"

* * *

 **THAT NIGHT**

Deep in the forest sat a small abandoned hut. The old wooden walls were rotting away and growing mossy. Holes in the cone-shaped straw ceiling allowed light from the dark moon to seep in. The floor creaked, but held strong.

Natsu sniffed and his nose crinkled. "Well it smells old, but it'll do for shelter for the night."

Happy floated to the ground and groaned as his wings disappeared. "Thank goodness we found some place to stay. I'm beat."

"Seems safe enough to me," Mira said as she examined the hut.

Serafine stepped inside, her head still hanging from the fight hours ago. She was feeling so frustrated at her lack of fighting ability that she felt ready to explode with anger. She raised her head slightly to peer at her parents, who were thoroughly checking out the place. "Um, guys?"

The two stopped their exploration to look at Serafine. "Yes?" Mira asked.

"I'm gonna look around a bit," Serafine said.

"As long as you don't go too far," Natsu said. "I'm all for a little exploration, but remember that this isn't our world and we've clearly got enemies. Just keep your wits about you, alright?"

Serafine nodded. "Right, Papa." She turned on her heels and slowly walked out.

Mira sighed. "Poor girl. She's still really distraught that her magic power hasn't developed much."

Natsu scratched his head. "She's so impatient."

Mira looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "I wonder who she got that from."

"Beats me."

"The sad part is you honestly believe that."

"I'll go make sure she's okay," Happy said as he summoned his wings and flew after her. Even though he was tired, he was concerned for his niece.

"Thanks pal," Natsu said. He sighed as he took a seat on the floor. "Teenagers are tricky."

Mira sat beside him. "She's trying to find herself and it's frustrating her. I understand. I just hope it doesn't push her to do something more dangerous than what she did today."

Natsu turned to her. "It'll be okay, Mira."

She put a finger to her chin. "And something else is bothering me, too."

"What would that be?"

"Those soldiers…they saw your guild mark and knew we were Fairy Tail wizards. But how could they possibly know that?"

Natsu hummed. "That's a good point. But there's no point in worrying about it right now." He leaned forward and gently kissed the side of her neck.

Mira's breath caught in her throat at the sudden feeling of warmth from Natsu's lips. She looked down from the corner of eye. "Natsu, what are you doing in a place like this?"

"Making you feel better," he said softly as he kissed and gently nibbled his way up to her jaw line. "You've been pretty stressed lately, haven't you?"

"A lot has happened," she breathed. She brought her hands up to his face and pulled him away.

"Let me help you relax, even if it's just for a moment. I hate seeing you look so sad." He pushed against Mira's hands and moved towards her face.

Mira's heart began to pound rapidly in her chest seeing him begin to close the distance between them. Even after all of these years, the thought of having Natsu being so close, so intimate was exciting and exhilarating. "You talked me into it," she whispered as she quickly closed the remaining gap, crashing her lips against his.

Natsu pushed against Mira until she was on her back, gently laying her down but never breaking the kiss. Their tongues met and danced against each other. Natsu's hands glided across Mira's slender waist and hips. Mira's hands gripped Natsu's back like she was clinging to a lifeline.

Mira was filled with bliss. She could feel an intense fire building inside of her. She knew that soon she would reach the point of no return and be flooded with the desire to feel Natsu inside of her. But still, she remained cognizant enough to remember that their daughter was outside and could return at any time. The last thing she wanted was for Serafine to catch them having sex in this broken down hut. She was willing to wait a little longer before stopping, but she soon realized that Natsu was already reaching his breaking point when his strong hands slid up her body and gripped her breasts. She moaned before grabbing his face and pulling him up. "We have to stop, Natsu."

Natsu looked in her eyes. He chuckled and rubbed his face against her soft hands. "I guess you're right." He sat up, removing his hands from Mira's breasts. He sat cross legged and smiled at her. "Do you at least feel a little better?"

Mira sat up and smiled warmly at him. She crawled over and gave him a quick kiss. "Much better. Thank you, Natsu." She continued to crawl until she was sitting beside him. She rested her head against his shoulder and sighed. "Remind me when we get back to ask Elfman to take Serafine and Happy on a trip."

Natsu snickered excitedly. "Oh, you bet I will."

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Happy asked, looking up at Serafine's sad expression.

Serafine's knees were pulled against her chest as she stared at the dark moon. "Uncle Happy, do you think I'll ever get my full magic?"

Happy lifted a paw. "Aye! No question about it!"

Serafine lifted her hand and stared at her palm. After several seconds of severe concentration a tiny ember appeared in her palm. "But this is all I can do. I'm 13 and I can't even start a fire, let alone fight and help Mama and Papa."

"But they can take care of themselves. So why push yourself so hard?"

Serafine's hand dropped. She rested her chin on her knees and looked at the vast and strange wilderness. "Mama and Papa are great, powerful, and revered S-Class wizards of Fairy Tail. They can do so much. How could they have a teenage kid who's so useless?"

"Serafine…"

Tears began to flood her eyes. "I just…I just want magic power. I don't care what it is. Anything would do. Anything at all so that I can stand beside them, so that they can smile at me with pride in their daughter." Her tears rolled down her cheeks and into the dirt. She squeezed her eyes shut to try and stop the flow, but to no avail. _'This is so damn frustrating!'_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving (if you celebrate)!**

 **So yes, I'm back. Sorry that I've been gone so long, but I took a bit of a sabbatical from writing for a while. I needed to step back and recharge my battery before I burned myself out and started hating my pieces. But now that I got that break, I feel a lot better and I've come back with more potential ideas (just because I wasn't writing it doesn't mean I wasn't thinking about it).**

 **But now, without further ado, I present the next chapter! Sorry to keep you waiting!**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

 _ **Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey**_

 **Chapter 6**

The Capital of Edolas was a sight to behold, but not for its beauty or elegance. Instead of radiating splendor, the only feeling one could express upon seeing it would be dread. The Capital of Edolas was a dark place. It was designed like a spiral with structures elevating higher and higher as they neared the center. Tall, thick stone walls encircled each level and the tallest and thickest of them all surrounded the whole city, trapping all inside and preventing any undesirables from wandering through. Each level was packed with small houses with the lower level having hundreds and the upper level having nearly a tenth of that total. Each house looked exactly the same; plain stone walls and red tile roofs. Sprouting up on each level but the lower one were tall, narrow towers most likely used for surveillance. At the very center of the Capital arose a majestic tower surrounded by several of the narrower towers. Golden supports wrapped around one side to further overshadow the rest of the city that it loomed over.

On the outskirts of the Capital's wall was a dense forest of purple leaved trees. Natsu, Mira, Serafine, and Happy cautiously peeked from behind the cover of the thick trunks. They could see a large golden gate before them as well as two stationary guards with tall trident-like weapons standing at attention on either side. "At least we found the front entrance," Happy whispered.

Natsu looked up and could spot several other guards stationed atop the wall. "Doesn't seem like they welcome visitors."

"What do we do, Papa?" Serafine asked softly. "Do we barge in?"

Natsu cracked his knuckles. "I'm all for that."

"Oh no you don't," Mira hissed. "We don't know what's on the other side. For all we know an army could be waiting for us."

"Really? An army? Don't you think that's a bit overdramatic?" Natsu asked.

"My point is that we don't know enough to try a full frontal assault," Mira replied.

Natsu huffed. He wanted so badly to rush on in and look for Lisanna, knocking away anyone who would dare stand in his way. After all, the front gate to their destination, the place they had so desperately wanted to reach, was right before them and he was basically being told to sit on his heels and wait for a better opening. It frustrated him and made every muscle in his body twitch irritably.

Mira put a calming hand on Natsu's shoulder. She knew better than anyone exactly what Natsu was feeling just from the way he stood. "It's okay, Natsu," she said soothingly. "We'll figure it out. Now look." She pointed off to the side. The Capital sat on the edge of a shoreline cliff so that half of the kingdom was surrounded not only by the stone wall but also by a vast, pale green sea. "I bet if we move closer to the shore there will be less security."

"Yeah, let's do that, Papa!" Serafine agreed. "We could sneak in like ninjas!"

Natsu smiled at his daughter. "Alright, alright. You guys convinced me. Besides, sneaking like ninjas can be fun, too."

With the group in agreement, they crept towards the sea, making sure to stay hidden in the forest. They maneuvered stealthily to the very edge of the land. With one final peek at the Capital's wall to see if they had been spotted by any guards, they dashed to the stone barrier.

"I don't see a way in," Happy said.

Natsu touched the cool, smooth structure. "Then we'll just have to make one." His hand lit up and the stone bricks beneath his palm began to slowly melt away.

"Careful, Natsu," Mira whispered. "We don't want them to notice us."

Natsu silently nodded. His eyes were fixed on his work as one stone brick melted away, and then another, creating a narrow hole.

Serafine bounced excitedly. _'Papa is so amazing! Even his fingertips can generate enough heat to melt through a wall this thick.'_ She looked down at her own hands. _'If only I could help. If only my flames weren't so pathetic.'_

Natsu gently pushed through the liquefying bricks, his arm disappearing further and further into the wall. He paused to assess his work and pulled out his arm. He groaned and scratched his head. "This wall is thicker than I thought. I haven't hit the other side yet." He reached into the hole until his hand touched the dripping stone. "Guess I've gotta keep at it."

"Can't you turn up the fire power a bit more?" Happy asked.

"Not if we want to stay discrete," Mira answered instead. "Just keep at it, Natsu. You're doing splendidly."

Natsu snickered as a wide grin split his face. "Alright! Now I'm really fired up! Just watch me. I'll get through this wall in no time!" He pushed against the wall once more, stopping only when his entire shoulder and side were pressed fully against the wall. "Aw crap. I can't reach anymore and I'm still not even through the wall."

"What now?" Serafine asked.

Natsu withdrew his arm and huffed. "Good question. If I can't touch the stones I can't melt them away like I've been doing. And any kind of long range attack would probably shake the wall and alert the guards." He pressed each hand on either side of the hole. "Guess my only option is to make the hole bigger." His hands lit up and once again the stones began to melt away at his touch. Mira, Serafine, and Happy watched patiently as the hole began to grow wider. With the hole's expansion, Natsu was able to crawl inside and continue his progress. Crawling on his knees he pushed ahead, making quick work of the stone bricks with his flames. And in a couple minutes he was through to the other side.

But he never would have expected to see a trident waiting to greet him, prongs glowing with magic. "Oh f…"

On the other side of the wall, Mira, Serafine, and Happy heard the sound of stone bursting apart. Almost a split second later they all saw Natsu flying backwards out of the hole, smoke billowing from his body. He rolled along the ground and came to a stop on his back. He coughed, his skin slightly burnt. "That hurt."

"Natsu!"

"Papa!"

The Dragneels ran to Natsu's side. Mira helped him into a sitting position. "What happened?"

"Freaking guards were waiting for me," he grumbled. He blew on the scorch marks on his arms. "They blasted me with their trident thingy. Fortunately I got a quick guard up. Stupid thing hurt."

"Wait, they knew?" Happy exclaimed. "But we were so sneaky!"

"Are you gonna be alright, Papa?" Serafine asked.

"I'll live. I'm a little ticked off, though," Natsu replied.

The sound of clanking armor could be heard echoing in the air. When the group turned towards the sound they saw a large mass of soldiers charging them. "There they are! It's the intruders! Arrest them!"

Natsu pushed himself to his feet. "I guess Plan A is going to happen anyway!" He smirked as flames engulfed his body. "Well you'll get no complaints from me! Bring it on!"

The guards quickly moved into position, forming a circle around the Dragneels. Their eyes and weapons remained fixed upon them.

Mira spun on her heels, putting Serafine between her and Natsu's backs. "We're surrounded, Natsu. This doesn't look good."

Flames swirled around Natsu's hands. "Don't worry. We can take them. Remember how weak they are from when we fought them before? Their new weapons won't help them at all now that I'm ready." He lifted his arms in front of him, pressing the backs of his hands together. "FIRE DRAGON ARCING FLAME!" Natsu swung his arms swiftly to the side, unleashing a stream of flames upon the half of the soldiers nearest him. The flames exploded in a cloud of smoke. "Too easy."

"Umm, Papa?" Serafine said while tugging on her father's shirt. "Look."

Natsu hummed in confusion. He squinted his eyes to peer through the smoke, but he was soon widening them in shock. "No way…"

The smoke cleared away. The soldiers were standing unharmed. Their trident's were glowing with blue electricity.

"What happened to Natsu's flames?" Happy asked in bewilderment.

"They created a barrier using their magic," Mira hypothesized.

"Enemies of the Capital and his Lordship, King Faust," one of the soldiers called out. "You are under arrest. Disarm your magic tools and get on your knees with your hands behind your head. Come quietly and we won't be required to use force."

"We're in a bad spot, Natsu," Mira said very quietly, knowing Natsu could easily hear her without speaking loudly. "Your fire is our best offensive attack, even more so than my Satan Soul. It's strong and offers crowd control. If they can deflect it then we have no more options left. We also have no route for escape."

Natsu clenched his fists. "I won't go down without a fight!" he bellowed as he charged some of the soldiers.

"Natsu, no!" Mira cried.

"Now, FIRE DRAGON—!" Natsu began but was quickly interrupted by a sudden counterattack from three guards firing blue electric magic simultaneously at Natsu. The attack struck the Dragon Slayer in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him sprawling back to the group.

"Papa!" Serafine cried.

"Very well. We shall invoke force to apprehend you," the guard said. "Move in, men."

Mira, Serafine, and Happy stood around Natsu as he sat up. "Mama, what do we do?" Serafine asked.

Mira didn't answer. Her mind was in overdrive as she tried to think through any and every possible scenario to get everyone out safely. However, based on their current situation she couldn't think of anything. These guards were far stronger than the other guards and their magic was far more superior. No escape routes were presenting themselves. _'I should have foreseen this. Of course the guards at the Capital would be more powerful. They have the duty to protect the King, after all. Careless! What can we do?'_

The guards approached slowly, collapsing the perimeter, weapons crackling with magic power. Some guards quickly pulled out handcuffs from their belts to restrain their soon-to-be prisoners.

Suddenly, a small gray ball hit the ground in front of Natsu, Mira, Serafine, and Happy. Before anyone could even notice it, the ball erupted in a hiss of steam. Thick, dark smoke filled the entire clearing. All of the guards stopped in their tracks and coughed heavily.

"What happened?" one of the guards rasped.

"An attack?" another asked.

After several moments the smoke began to dissipate. The head guard wheezed and coughed and ran towards the center of the perimeter he and his guards had set up. However, there was no one there. "The intruders! They've escaped!" He thrust out his hand. "Find them! Search the forest! Leave no stone unturned! Don't let them get away!"

* * *

"I won't ask again; who are you?" Natsu growled, his voice echoing slightly from the room that he and his family were now inside. It was a small cave-like chamber attached to a narrow rocky hall.

A man stood before him surrounded by a small group of armored men. He was of average height, but very well built. His strong, burly arms were crossed over his chest. His leather vest hugged his torso tightly and his loose, work worn pants stopped above the ankles. Attached to his tattered belt were a sheathed sword on his left and a small, handheld ax on his right. His black hair was short and neat. His face was scruffy and decorated with small scars, but still gave the impression of kindness. His green eyes seemed to shine as they reflected the light of the few brightly burning torches. He laughed heartily. "You really are just as intense as I thought! Incredible!" His voice boomed in the small cave-like room.

"Natsu, calm down," Mira scolded quietly. "These people saved our lives. It's because of them that we could escape." Mira bowed her head. "Thank you for showing such kindness to us."

Serafine mirrored her mother. "Thank you."

"Come on, Mira. You can't be so trusting here," Natsu said as he motioned towards the strange group. "How can we be sure that we're in a better situation? We don't know these people and of late we've been getting screwed over by practically everyone we meet."

"You're absolutely right," the man said with a nod and a smile. "In this world, you have to be careful who you trust."

"Then will you answer my question?" Natsu asked.

The man put a hand to his chest and stood straight. "You can call me Brac, my good man."

"Okay, Brac," Natsu said while crossing his arms, ignoring the sting from his minor injuries. "Mind if I ask you a couple more questions?"

"Only if you'll be kind enough to give me your names," Brac said. "It's only polite for both parties to introduce themselves."

Natsu huffed. "Natsu."

"My name is Mira."

"Hi, I'm Serafine."

"I'm Happy!"

Brac nodded and laughed. "Great! Now we are no longer strangers. You can ask your questions now."

"I've got two questions. First, who are you guys exactly?" Natsu asked.

Brac held out his arms to motion to the people around him. "We are the resistance movement! We fight for justice against a cruel and corrupt world! We look for equality for all! We are the sole beacon of hope left in this suffering land! We are White Wing!"

"White Wing," Mira said. "So you oppose King Faust?"

"Right you are, ma'am," Brac said with a wink. "Ever since magic was monopolized and guilds were forcibly disbanded, we've worked to restore what Faust has broken. We primarily use ambushes and stealth tactics since we can't rely on magic to aid us in prolonged battles."

"So you guys are fighting back," Natsu said with a small smile. "Alright, I can respect that. Now for my other question; why did you save us?"

Brac's expression became serious. "Because you are just like us. You have chosen to lash out against King Faust instead of accepting what has transpired no matter the cost." His smile returned and he laughed. "My brethren and I saw your skirmish and I've gotta say that the rumors are true. You Fairy Tail wizards have got guts! Plus you held your own against the strongest, most magically adept soldiers in the country without visibly using your magic tools! I love it! So that's why we rescued you and brought you to our secret base deep under the mountains."

"Hold on," Mira spoke up. "How did you know we were Fairy Tail wizards?"

Brac stared at her with a quizzical expression. "How? How else?" He pointed at Natsu's shoulder where his guild mark was peeking out from underneath his forest green shirt. "That's the mark of Fairy Tail alright! No one has that unless their members."

"I don't understand," Mira breathed. "How can you know that?"

"I don't quite get what's confusing. Sorry," Brac apologized.

"What do you know about Fairy Tail?" Mira asked, trying desperately to get to the bottom of this strange mystery without revealing that she and her family were not from this world.

"Only that's its members were some of the strongest magic users in Edolas!" Brac exclaimed.

"Strongest magic users in _Edolas_?!" the Dragneels exclaimed.

"Of course!" Brac said, remaining oblivious to his guests' looks of complete astonishment. "They were highly respected. Once the ban on guilds went through, they fought back. They fought hard, but without easy access to magic they began to lose ground." He looked apologetically at the Dragneels. "Sorry, I shouldn't be saying so much. It's probably painful to remember all of this. I mean, seeing your guild mates beaten down and arrested one by one must have been horrible."

Natsu, Mira, Serafine, and Happy all looked at each other.

"There's a Fairy Tail…," Natsu breathed.

"…in Edolas?" Mira finished.

"And they've been arrested," Serafine gasped.

"But how? How could there be a Fairy Tail in Edolas, too?" Happy asked.

"This whole situation becomes stranger by the minute," Mira said.

"You folks alright?" Brac asked.

"We're fine," Natsu said. "So tell me, Brac; you said that the soldiers were the most magically adept in the country, right?"

Brac nodded. "Yes they are. King Faust hand selected them as personal guards because of their compatibility with magic tools. Since he possesses the world's magic, he can supercharge them with enough power to fry a Legion in seconds and they'd still have enough juice to fight for hours. They're no pushovers."

"What are their weaknesses? How about blind spots in the security?" Natsu asked.

"Whoa, hold up there!" Brac said while holding out his hands. "These kinds of questions…you're not seriously trying to _break in_ to the Capital, are you?"

The Dragneels all nodded. "There's something we've got to do," Mira said.

"Look, I get it," Brac said. "I get that you wanna save your guild mates, but trying to get in there through the front door is simply suicide. It can't be done. Guards are positioned so that there are no blind spots. Also, should you manage to sneak under their detection, if you even touch the walls a silent alarm is activated and guards rush to your location. Trust me, we've tried everything and failed each time."

"So you're giving up?" Natsu asked coldly. "I thought you were the resistance, the last beacon of hope!"

Brac smirked. "I truly love your fire. Don't get me wrong; we haven't given up. Not by a long shot. But I told you, didn't I? We use the element of surprise in our combat. We just have come to realize that we need a thorough plan utilizing our strengths. We're working on ironing out the details, but we do have one in development."

"Will this plan get you inside the castle?" Natsu inquired.

Brac pumped his fist. "Of course! How else would we dethrone the demon who dwells within?"

Natsu looked to Mira and then to Serafine. All three nodded. Natsu looked back to Brac and held out a fist. "We'd like to help you with your plan if that's alright."

Brac laughed heartily and bumped Natsu's fist. "Fantastic! Glad to have people with skill like yourselves on board! We're just waiting on some intel and…"

"Father!" a voice echoed from the rocky halls. Moments later, a young boy came bounding in. His thick black hair was wild and filthy. He was strong and athletic in build, but still very thin. His green eyes were alit with hope. Mud and filth covered the boy's face and he wiped it away with the sleeve of his dirt-covered, loosely fitting white shirt.

"Ah, speak of the devil!" Brac said. He grabbed the shoulder of the young boy and pulled him to his side. "I'd like to introduce you to my son. His name's Lucius."

The boy stared warily at the Dragneels. "Father, who are these people?"

"They are fellow freedom fighters, lad."

Lucius's eyes soon widened with joy. "So you've come to help us?"

"That they have. So what were you able to discover?"

Lucius dug into his pockets and handed his father a small paper. "Here you go."

Brac took the paper and looked it over. He then grinned. "Well it's slow going, but it's still good news. This means our plan should work fine."

"What is this plan?" Serafine asked.

Brac waved the paper in the air. "If the guards are on full alert and the walls can't be touched, then we'll just have to go where they can't see us; underground."

"Underground?" Mira repeated. "So you're digging a tunnel?"

"Precisely! Lucius's information just confirmed that they can't detect us at our current depth. The tunnel has passed by the wall. Now all we have to do is determine a direction to take the tunnel where we can exit undetected, thus using ambush to strike."

"Pretty smart," Natsu said. "Let us know what you need. We'll help however we can."

Brac laughed and walked over to Natsu. He clapped him on the shoulder and pulled him along. "My good man, I do believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Natsu nodded and looked over his shoulder to where Mira was following. They smiled at each other, for they were both thinking the same thing.

 _'This tunnel will take us to Lisanna!'_

Serafine was about to follow her parents when she heard Lucius call out to her. The boy smiled at her. "So what's your name?" he asked.

Serafine bowed her head. "Serafine. It's nice to meet you."

"Serafine…that's a really pretty name. How old are you?"

"I'm 13."

"So you're about my age. I just turned 14 a couple months ago." He held out his hand. "I'm so glad you're going to fight with us!"

Serafine took the boy's hand. She couldn't believe how rough and strong it felt considering how close in age they were. She smiled at him. "Right. We'll take down King Faust no matter what!"

Lucius released her hand. "Well I'm going to go check on the tunnel. Feel free to stop by!" With one final smile, he took off down the hallway that he had entered from.

She watched after him until she could no longer see him. She then looked down at her hand. _'Lucius…'_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

 _ **Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey**_

 **Chapter 7**

With a hand clamped firmly on Natsu's shoulder, Brac led his new allies through the rocky halls of White Wing's secret base in the mountainside towards the tunnel he had spoken of earlier, per the request of Natsu and Mira. Every so often they would reach a point where the path branched off in several other directions, but Brac never once hesitated in his maneuvering. Upon entering the secret base originally, no one would be able to tell that such a labyrinth lay in wait deep within; which was more than likely the entire idea behind its design.

"This place is pretty impressive," Mira commented, her curious eyes scanning the torch lit walls and absorbing the impressive structure. "It must have taken a very long time to create all this."

Brac laughed loudly, his deep voice like a resounding bomb in the small area. "Why thank you, Miss Mira!" He placed his free hand on the steel of his ax. "My magic tool Stone Cleaver makes manipulating the earth all too easy a task! It did cost me quite a bit of magic fuel, but it was all worth it! Only members of White Wing can navigate around in here so if any Capital soldiers wander in, they'll be lost for sure! Ahahaha!"

Natsu laughed as well. "That would be pretty funny to watch them run around!"

"I didn't expect your tunnel to be connected to your base," Mira said.

"What better way to use it undetected?" Brac replied.

"How much further until we reach this tunnel that you're making?" Happy asked.

"It's not much further," Brac replied. "Just a couple more turns and presto!"

Natsu pumped his fist. "I'm so fired up! The sooner it's built the sooner we can kick some Faust ass!"

Further back down the tunnel, Lucius and Serafine were following to reach the tunnel. Serafine had decided to follow Lucius towards the tunnel and wasn't surprised at all to see her parents with Brac ahead of them going in the same direction.

"I guess your folks are excited to see the tunnel, huh?" Lucius chuckled. "Especially your father."

Serafine nodded. "Yeah, he can get pretty excitable. But we all want to get there and check it out. It could help us out with our goal."

"You know, I was surprised to see my father accept strangers so quickly. You three must have really left an impression on him."

Serafine's expression saddened. "Yeah, Mama and Papa are extremely strong. They can take your breath away."

Lucius looked at Serafine out of the corner of his eye. He could easily see the change in Serafine's mood, but he didn't pry into the cause in spite of his curiosity. After all, he had only just met this girl. What right did he have to ask such a personal question? He decided to try and change the subject. "We'll reach the tunnel soon."

"Great."

Lucius flinched slightly at her short answer and sighed to himself. _'Guess that didn't work. I must have really upset her. I'll have to be sure to apologize later when she's in a better mood.'_

The two walked the rest of the way in silence, listening to Brac's boisterous laughter as he spoke with Natsu and Mira.

The group continued along until they could hear the faint sound of dull pinging.

"It sounds like digging," Happy noted.

"Yeah it does," Natsu said with a smirk. "We must be close."

"Right you are, my friends," Brac said. The sound continued to grow louder and more distinct. They turned around one final corner before stopping. Brac gestured ahead of him. "Welcome to the Tunnel of Hope!"

Before the Fairy Tail wizards stretched a deep, wide tunnel. Small torches were evenly spaced out all down the rough tunnel walls. At the farthest end were several men and women, their baggy clothes caked in mud and dust, metal pickaxes and shovels in their hands. They worked like machines as they drove into the tunnel walls and ceiling with their tools, showing no signs of fatigue. The workers never once stopped their task, even after hearing Brac's thunderous voice echoing behind them. They remained completely focused on digging.

"Quite a fitting title," Mira commented. "I never expected it to be so big, though."

Brac laughed, but it was softer now, more cautious. "Well we don't exactly want to be filing out one by one when we reach the end. It could end up being a march to slaughter that way. In this case, even if it's more work, bigger is better!"

"More work is right," Mira said. She couldn't believe how daunting this tunnel was. "How much longer until the tunnel is finished would you say?"

Brac scratched his scruffy chin. "Time, eh? Well if they work nonstop the digging won't take longer than half a day to complete, but I'm not interested in overworking my fellow freedom fighters. They'll need to eat and sleep and take breaks. That would push completion back to perhaps tomorrow late afternoon, maybe the evening."

Natsu smirked and punched his palm, small embers floating into the air. "And then we crash the joint and tear Faust from the throne!"

Brac crossed his arms. "While I love your enthusiasm, Natsu, it won't be that simple. While the tunnel will be done tomorrow for sure, we won't be going through with the plan until the following morning. We'll need to complete supply preparations and solidify the entry plan for the most difficult revolution in Edolas history." Brac's eyes, which usually shone with joyous determination, glazed over with seriousness. "There can be no mistakes here. One slip up and we could all be looking at life in prison or worse; execution."

Serafine gulped. "Execution?" she asked timidly.

Brac nodded. "By not disbanding when it was ordered, that was our first offense. By actively fighting back, that's our second offense. Which means…"

"You're out of chances," Mira inferred, earning a silent nod from Brac.

"But execution?" Serafine repeated.

"All of us in White Wing know the risks," Lucius said. "We know yet we will continue to fight for the betterment of this world."

She looked at Lucius's solemn expression. He seemed calm in spite of it all. _'The risk is so high and yet he doesn't seem nervous at all. He's so strong.'_ She clenched her fists. _'I need to be that strong, yet my heart won't stop pounding at just the thought of dying.'_

Lucius smiled softly. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

"My boy is right," Brac said, instantly cheering up again. "We've planned and planned. We know what we're doing here." He winked at Serafine. "We don't plan on this being a suicide mission, little miss. We'll dethrone Faust with no casualties. And that's a promise."

Serafine smiled, but her chest still felt tight. "Right." She glanced over at Lucius. The boy was smiling at her and looking at her with kindness. Her chest started to feel even tighter somehow. She put a hand to her chest and breathed deeply to try and calm herself down.

Mira put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "We'll be right beside you always."

"Thanks, Mama."

"So I have a question," Happy said while lifting a paw. "How are we going to free the wizards?"

"That's the tricky part," Brac admitted. "They'll be heavily guarded, so it will require our full strength. Of course, simply having them by our side will aid our forces, so it will only put us at a disadvantage for a brief period." He lifted a thick finger into the air. "Here's the plan as it currently stands. As soon as we enter the surface, we'll have a distraction prepared to draw attention. While a small group remains behind to ensure the guards don't give chase, the rest will go to save the others that are imprisoned. Once that's been accomplished, we'll signal the others and regroup. That's when we march on Faust."

"Sounds like you have the details worked out," Natsu said while crossing his arms, "but you said you still had to solidify the plan. What gives?"

"We have new members, ya know," Brac said with a smile. "We have to readjust to make sure we use you three to the fullest!"

Natsu snickered. "I don't mind that answer as long as it means I'll be on the frontlines for saving the other wizards and shoving some fire down Faust's throat!"

"Oh don't you worry. I have no intention of leaving you or your beautiful wife in reserve. You and Mira will definitely be on the frontlines."

"Wait, what about me?" Serafine asked.

Brac gave an embarrassed smile. "Sorry Serafine, but I haven't seen what you're capable of yet. But if you'd be willing to show me, I'd be more than happy to bring you along with us for the rescue mission!"

Serafine's mouth opened, but nothing came out. After all, what could she say? _'I don't have any strong magic power yet. All I can do is fight with close combat. There's no way he'll take me along if he knows that! I'm so pathetic!"_

However, Natsu spoke up to break the silence. "Serafine's with us no matter what."

Serafine looked at her father with wide eyes. "Papa…"

"That's right," Mira said with a straight face. "We're family. We refuse to leave her behind."

Brac said nothing for quite some time. He then sighed and closed his eyes. "It will be extremely dangerous. I'm not trying to be rude, but if she can't protect herself she may just end up getting hurt."

"Don't you worry about my daughter," Natsu said while ruffling Serafine's hair. "She's as tough as they come. She can take care of herself. Count on it!"

Mira nodded her agreement.

Brac smiled. "Well alright. I'll trust the words of her parents. When we fine tune the plan to include you three, I'll make sure to have you in the infiltration unit as opposed to the distraction unit." He turned to look at the tunnel for a brief moment. "We're so close to the biggest moment in our history. This is make or break time."

"We'll succeed for sure," Natsu said.

Brac turned back around and laughed. "I love the confidence!" He clapped Natsu on the shoulder again. "What do you say? Shall we get some sleep? Tomorrow we'll fine tune the plan while the tunnel is being finished. Once it's done we'll get our supplies in order and prepare for action the following morning!"

Natsu looked at Mira and the two nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

"Excellent! I'll show you three to your room!" Brac cheered. He led the group back through the intricate tunnel system.

While they all walked, Serafine's gaze was on her parents' backs. _'Mama and Papa…they could have insisted I stay behind where it's safe, but instead they fought for me to be with them. They're showing such faith in me.'_ She looked down at her hands; hands that had yet to produce any flame worth being proud of. _'It made me happy, but…will I only end up getting in their way?'_ She shook her head vigorously and lifted her face. _'No! I can't think like that anymore! I'm a Dragneel! I'll make Mama and Papa proud!'_

Lucius looked at Serafine out of the corner of his eye in complete silence.

* * *

The room that Brac had provided the Dragneels was nothing too spectacular. The room was carved into the mountain, so the walls were rough and rounded. There was a small "washroom" attached with a filthy dark red curtain as the only form of privacy for bathing. On the dirt floor was a large blue oval rug with frayed edges. The furniture was simple; a bed large enough for two adults and a tiny dresser in the adjacent corner. A small torch was the only form of light, casting long shadows around the room.

Natsu lay on the bed with Mira, his eyes closed. "I wish tomorrow would come sooner."

Mira smiled softly. "I know. It's exciting, isn't it?"

"Exciting? That's a bit of an understatement. We could see Lisanna soon!"

Mira took a deep breath. "I'm trying to not get my hopes up, but you're right. Words can't express how I feel."

Natsu rolled over to look at his beautiful wife. She was on her back as she stared at the naked, rocky ceiling. A heartwarming smile split her face. Small tears formed in the corners of her eyes. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Yeah, that's the best way to put it."

She rolled onto her side and looked into Natsu's eyes. "I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight."

"Me either."

Mira looked over her shoulder. "By the way, where are Serafine and Happy?"

"Happy's looking for fish to eat. As for Serafine, that Lucius kid asked to show her something when we got to the room so she's with him."

Mira blinked in surprise. "She went with him?"

Natsu nodded. "Yup."

She giggled. "I guess she is that age."

He raised an eyebrow. "What age? What are you talking about?"

"Oh c'mon, Natsu. She's thirteen now. She's not small anymore."

"Yeah I know that. What are you getting at?"

"Well she's bound to be interested in boys now."

Natsu shot up. "Wait, WHAT?!"

Mira sat up calmly. "Why are you getting so worked up?"

"She is NOT old enough for that!"

"Oh don't be like that." She put a hand to his face and smiled. "After all, I was that age when I fell for you."

"That's not the same thing!"

"How so?"

"She's _my_ little girl!"

"You're being silly."

Natsu started to stand up. "Where'd they go?"

Like a cat catching a mouse, Mira shot her hand out, pulled Natsu down, and sprang on top of him. She held down his arms with her hands. "Natsu, calm down."

"To hell with calm! If that kid thinks I'm just gonna hand my little girl over to him, he's got another thing coming!"

"Oh you're being ridiculous. We don't even know if Lucius likes Serafine that way, let alone if Serafine has any feelings for him. They just met. Now calm down!"

Natsu continued to struggle. "Let me go! Serafine, Papa's coming!"

Mira sighed heavily. _'Time for a different tactic.'_ She leaned forward and kissed Natsu's lips. His body immediately froze. She stopped for only a moment to whisper teasingly, "Hey Natsu. I think I'll have too much trouble sleeping tonight. But maybe if you tired me out a bit…" She softly planted kisses on his cheek, his chin, and his jaw. "I could sleep more soundly."

Natsu's body shuddered. Mira's soft lips and warm breath were blurring his thoughts. His senses were beginning to focus on her touch, her smell, her scent. "That's not…that's not fair, Mira. You know I can't resist you."

She let go of his arms and caressed his face while continuing to kiss him. "Then don't. Don't resist."

"If someone walks in I can't be held responsible."

"We can still have fun without having sex." She sat up and pulled off her light blue tank top, exposing her creamy white skin to the warm air. "If memory serves, you're incredible at foreplay."

Natsu sat up, sliding Mira back into his lap. He expertly and swiftly removed her pink lace bra before immediately cupping her large breasts. She let out a soft moan at feeling his calloused hands massage her flesh in a manner that was somewhere between rough and tender. "I'm still worried about Serafine, you know."

Mira kissed him deeply. "I know, Natsu."

He pinched her stiff, pink nipples. She had to stifle a cry by biting her bottom lip. He gently rolled them between his two fingers and her body began to shake. With a grin he flipped her over onto the bed, watching her breasts bounce before hungrily taking one into his mouth.

"Oh, Natsu," Mira moaned. His abnormally hot mouth shot a familiar warmth throughout her body. It was amazing how badly she was beginning to need him after barely a minute.

Slowly Natsu slid down her body, blazing kisses along her stomach. When he reached her waist he hooked his fingers around the waistband of both her black pants and her panties and immediately pulled them down, tossing them across the room without a second thought. Mira offered no resistance. He continued his path all the way to her pussy, which was already glistening with arousal. With no word of warning he drove his tongue inside of her and licked her walls.

The feeling of his rough tongue inside of her was enough to send her into spasms. She couldn't hold back her screams as her entire body shook violently. "OH GOD, NATSU!"

His hand shot up at her loud word and immediately clamped onto her breast. He paused for a moment, but didn't move. He only gave her a look; a look that said _'If you're loud, someone might come and I'll have to stop.'_

Mira, breathing heavily from her near release, nodded her understanding. She reached up over her head and grabbed the pillow that lay against the headboard. She pressed it over her mouth.

As soon as she did, Natsu continued his actions. Faster and faster. Rougher and rougher. His right hand, which had a firm grip on Mira's left breast, was roughly kneading the soft flesh within its grip. His free hand ventured to her pussy and he inserted two fingers alongside his tongue.

As for Mira, there was simply too much stimuli. Her breast was being squeezed, Natsu's rough palms rubbing her sensitive nipple. Her pussy was overwhelmed by the rough thrusting of Natsu's tongue and fingers. She couldn't hold back. She snapped as she screamed her release into the pillow.

Natsu withdrew from inside Mira, licking his lips and then his two fingers. "Feeling better?"

Mira panted heavily and rapidly, the pillow resting over her face. She nodded as she gazed at him with passion. "So…much…that…that was…incredible."

Natsu moved and lay beside her. He ran his fingers through her silky, white hair, admiring the shine on her face from how worked up she had gotten. He kissed her forehead. "I'm glad." He adjusted himself to wrap his arms tightly around her stomach and closed his eyes. "You realize when we get back home we're gonna have to do it for hours, right?"

Mira giggled as she moved the pillow off of her face. She turned so that her back could be pulled right up against his warm chest. "Bring it on." The two were about to fall asleep until Mira said softly, "Natsu."

"Mm?"

"My clothes?"

* * *

Serafine stared at Lucius's back as he led her through the tunnels. _'What is this all about?'_

* * *

 **MINUTES EARLIER**

"Umm…Serafine?"

Serafine stopped at the doorway and turned towards Lucius. Her father and Happy had already flung themselves on the bed and her mother was looking around the room. "Yeah?"

Lucius scratched his head. "Would you like to come with me for a bit? There's something I'd like to show you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Right now?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Trust me it's worth seeing. I think you'll really like it."

* * *

Serafine sighed. _'He really wanted me to go. I felt bad turning him down. But why does he want to show me this so badly?'_

"We're here," Lucius said, interrupting Serafine's thoughts.

She blinked and looked around. The tunnel had ended with no way to go but back the way they had come. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. She felt a strange wave of disappointment. Had she been excited? "Sooooo you wanted to show me a dead end?"

Lucius laughed, pressing his palm against the cool stone wall. "Not exactly." With a small push, the rock gave way and rolled to the side to reveal a new path. This path was lit with a pale light as opposed to the light from the fires that illuminated the rest of the tunnel system. It was also vertical, curving gently before shooting straight upwards.

"Okay, you have a secret door?" Serafine asked.

Lucius walked forward. "Something like that, yeah. I built it myself. Not sure anyone knows about it, even my father." He looked up the path, his face seeming to glow from the pale light. "This is what I wanted to show you."

"Well building a secret door is impressive, but I'm not sure why you wanted to show it to me. What, you felt like showing off to a girl?"

Lucius smiled, but didn't reply. He reached up and began to climb up the path, quickly disappearing above.

Serafine felt curious, so she walked forward, stepping into the pale light as well. "Where are you going?" She looked up where Lucius had gone and found him smiling down at her—from outside. She could see grass bending on the outskirts of the entrance and the canopy of the trees. She could hear wind blowing above her and she could smell fresh air.

He reached down, offering his hand. "You coming?"

Without thinking, Serafine reached for his hand. With his help, she was soon out of the tunnels, the crisp night air brushing against her skin. "Where are we?"

Lucius lay down in the grass, putting his arms behind his head. "Above the White Wing base."

Serafine breathed deeply. The air felt good in her lungs. "Pretty cool, I'll admit."

"Lie down," he said softly.

Serafine looked at him, but saw that he wasn't looking at her. He was looking up at the sky. She obliged his request and lay down—and immediately gasped.

The entire sky was covered in stars like a treasure chest filled with sparkling diamonds. Waves of purple and blue colors flowed like rivers, wrapping around the floating masses. Darting past every now and then were small meteors, leaving trails of sparkling dust in their wake. It was as if the sky were a canvas covered with intricate detail, captivating anyone who glanced at it and preventing them from tearing their eyes away.

Serafine's eyes shone with amazement as she tried to absorb every inch of this otherworldly sky. "Beautiful…," she breathed.

" _This_ is what I wanted to show you," Lucius said.

"I don't know what to say. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"But why show me this?"

He closed his eyes. "I was hoping if I showed you this, you would forgive me."

Serafine turned her head to look at Lucius. "Forgive you? For what?"

"I'm afraid I upset you earlier. You know, when we were headed to the Tunnel of Hope. If I said anything insensitive I really am sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

"You don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong."

He opened his eyes and met her gaze. "You did look sad, though. It's kind of the other reason why I wanted to show you this spot. Whenever I feel frustrated or sad, I like to come here at this time. The sky always seems to calm me down and make me forget my troubles. If it's not too personal, can I ask what's wrong?"

Serafine looked back to the sky. "I'd rather not talk about it. Sorry."

Lucius looked back to the sky as well. "It's alright. You have the right to your privacy. I just thought it didn't hurt to at least ask."

The two stared at the sky in silence, watching meteors dance across the night. The only sound was the peaceful chirping of insects and the gentle rustle of leaves as the breeze blew through the trees.

After some time had passed, Serafine stole a glance at Lucius. The boy was watching the sky intently like he was studying a map. She could see his eyes dart slightly from place to place and she couldn't help but smile. "Mind if I ask a question? You know, as long as it's not too personal?"

Lucius tore his eyes away from the sky and smiled gently. He nodded.

"Did your dad create White Wing?"

"He did." He chuckled. "That wasn't personal at all."

Serafine snickered and stuck out her tongue. "I know. I was mocking you."

Lucius laughed. "I like it when you smile a lot more. It's really cute."

Serafine blushed and looked away quickly. "What kind of stupid stuff are you saying? Geez."

Lucius chuckled again. "When I was little, my parents and I were in a wizard guild."

"Isn't White Wing a wizard guild?"

"Not really. It's more of a resistance group. Not everyone in it uses magic. This was a guild like they used to be; freedom to use magic, taking jobs for citizens, etc."

"And then it got disbanded right when King Faust passed the law, right?"

Lucius shook his head. "Not exactly. Our guild resisted."

"Your guild got imprisoned, huh? Like Fairy Tail."

Lucius's smile faded slightly. "Well, most of us. My father and I managed to escape the soldiers that Faust had sent. But my mother…"

Serafine looked back at Lucius after hearing his voice trail off. "What about her?"

Lucius looked back into the starry sky. "The soldiers burned down our guild hall. She got trapped under some wreckage trying to escape with us. My father tried to pull her out, but by the time he managed to move all of the burning debris, it was too late. She was already gone. That's when my father started White Wing. He doesn't want there to be anymore suffering so he is determined to find a way to tear Faust from his corrupted throne."

"I'm so sorry about your mother, Lucius."

"I appreciate it, but it was a long time ago."

Serafine rolled over on her side. "I shouldn't have asked something like that. What can I do to make it up to you?"

"I didn't tell you to get something back, Serafine."

"Then why? Why tell me something so personal? You didn't have to, you know. You could have told me you didn't want to talk about it like I did. I mean, we barely know each other. We just met today."

"I know, but sometimes talking about things with other people can help." He looked back at her and gave her a big grin. "It can really make you feel better. Like a weight has been lifted. Besides, even though we just met I feel like you're someone I can trust."

"Lucius…," she whispered. She took a deep breath. "Can…Can I tell you a secret? Something I haven't even told my Mama or Papa?"

He nodded. "If you want to share, I'll listen."

Serafine took another deep breath. "I truly believe with every fiber of my being that I'm useless and pathetic and will never grow."

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "What? Why would you think that?"

"Because it's true!" she exclaimed. "I'm trying to believe in the faith they have in me, but no matter how hard I try I can't completely convince myself that I won't just get in the way when I'm with them. My Mama and Papa are incredibly strong wizards with power like you wouldn't believe. No one can even come close to them. They're like gods in my eyes; divine, unstoppable beings that I can never hope to reach even in my wildest dreams. All I want is for my magic to grow and be useful so that they'll be proud of me, but right now I'm nothing but a liability in a fight. I want to be strong like them. Like you."

Lucius blinked. "Like me?"

"Yeah. I mean, you're so brave. The thought of death on this mission doesn't even faze you. I want to be that strong."

Lucius smiled. "Serafine, do you actually think I'm not afraid?"

"Well yeah. You were so calm before when you were talking about the risks of this mission."

"Truth is I'm terrified."

Her eyes widened. "You are?"

"Who wouldn't be? Death is scary and sad. The very thought of it makes my heart pound in my chest."

"Me too," she said softly.

"Give yourself more credit. I bet you're a lot stronger than you think. Your parents think so, too. Why else would they want you on the frontlines?"

"They were just being nice. I have barely any magic power." Serafine sat up and held out her hand. She focused entirely on her palm for several seconds before a tiny ember sprung to life. "See? Pathetic. I'm a loser."

Lucius's eyes widened. He bolted upright and crawled closer to Serafine, his eyes fixed on her hand. "H…How did you do that?"

"What? This stupid, tiny, worthless flame? This is my magic. Go ahead and laugh."

"Laugh? How could I laugh? This is incredible!"

She looked away. "You're just saying that to be nice."

"I'm not! You're amazing, Serafine! You can do something like this without a magic tool?! I can't believe how talented you are!"

Serafine could feel a strange feeling in her chest. It was like a strange warmth building up inside of her. "Th…Thanks I guess."

Lucius gently touched the back of her hand as he continued to marvel at her flame. "Thank you for showing me this, Serafine. It's absolutely breathtaking."

Serafine blushed heavily. "Thank you, Lucius." She was suddenly feeling a lot better, like a large weight she didn't know was there had been lifted. She looked at him. "I'm glad I talked to you about this."

Lucius managed to tear his eyes away from the small flame and looked into her eyes. "You're welcome." He tilted his head slightly. "You know, I never noticed before how blue your eyes are. With your beautiful fire they kind of look like the majestic starry sky above us."

Serafine quickly tore her hand away, putting out the fire in the process. She buried her hands in her lap and hung her head, her long pink locks hiding her face and the intense redness of her cheeks. "Why do you have to say weird stuff like that? Geez."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

 _ **Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey**_

 **Chapter 8**

 _'Good, they're all asleep,_ ' Serafine thought quietly to herself, her cobalt blue eyes peering into the room she shared with her parents and Uncle Happy. Quiet as a mouse, she crept inside. She knew how sensitive her father's ears were so she made sure to stay on the balls of her feet. Even the smallest overstep and she knew his head would perk right up. It happened all the time back home if she ever tried to sneak a late night snack and accidentally stepped too loudly. However, she knew that in this case if she was caught, she would be bombarded with questions about where she was and why she was coming back so late. She really didn't want that. She wasn't sure why, but the thought of telling her parents about what she was up to made her feel uncomfortable. That had never happened before. What was this strange feeling?

It wasn't like she had done anything wrong, so it couldn't be a feeling of guilt. All she had done was look at the night sky. The beautiful, majestic sky…

With Lucius.

There it was again! A strange wave of something indescribable washed over her the second the boy's name crossed her mind. It was like her body was filling with fire, heating her to her very core. Her stomach felt like it was turning over and over. Her chest felt heavy. She was swarmed with so many different feelings that had never teamed up before. And she didn't know what it was. Did it even have a name?

Like before, she tried to push it away and crawled ever so gently in between her parents sleeping forms. If she had it her way she would have had her own bed to reduce the odds of being found out, but alas there was only one bed and she didn't really want to sleep on the floor. Plus, if she was caught sleeping there, she would have to answer even more questions. She crawled like a sloth, every movement deliberate and carefully planned. After a minute or two she finally reached the front of the bed. She slowly stuck her feet underneath the covers and ever so carefully slipped her body further underneath, being mindful to not accidentally kick her parents. Once she was settled, she released a soft sigh. _'Made it.'_

She closed her eyes to sleep, but her mind was too active. Jumbled thoughts swirled around, pushing and shoving their way to her attention. With her mind so chaotic, sleep was all but impossible. She groaned quietly and opened her eyes, staring at the rocky ceiling. It seemed so naked and bare to her eyes.

And then her thoughts returned to Lucius.

No one had ever treated her magic like that. Sure her mother and father always encouraged her, but they had never acted like Lucius. While her parents were proud of her first flame (which had yet to grow any stronger after several years), Lucius was different; he was filled with evident, sincere wonder. The look on his face when he saw her flame wouldn't leave her mind. It kept replaying over and over again. It made her feel so incredibly special. It made her just a little bit happier regarding her flame.

Was that it? Was that the feeling, the reason for the knots in her chest? Was it simple, yet intense gratitude? She smiled slightly. _'That's gotta be it. I guess I'm just thankful for what he said to me.'_ Satisfied with her answer, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

"Down the hatch!" Natsu cheered. He placed his hand over his mouth and swallowed one of Mystogan's X-Balls with an audible gulp. He gave a satisfied sigh like he just had a refreshing drink and laughed. "Now we're all set for the day! I feel pumped!"

Serafine eyed the small red ball her father had given her. "I wish these things tasted like something," she said before tossing it in her mouth and swallowing.

"Aye," Happy agreed, sobbing at the flavorless pill he just swallowed. "I wonder if Mystogan has fish-flavored X-Balls."

"That would probably smell after some time," Mira said with a smile. She had already swallowed her pill for the day.

"Now that all of our magic has been restocked for the day, let's get moving!" Natsu exclaimed. He marched to the door and threw it open. "We've got to prepare! Tomorrow's the big day!"

"What are we supposed to do?" Happy asked.

"We'll head for the strategy meeting of course!"

"Are you even sure they're meeting now?" Mira asked.

"Nope! Not at all! But if we find Brac, I bet something will happen."

"But Papa, how can we possibly know where to go to find him?" Serafine asked. "This place is like a maze. We'll get lost without someone showing us the way."

Natsu looked over his shoulder and snickered while pointing to his nose. "You doubt your Papa's tracking skills? I can just track Brac's scent. Easy peasy!"

"Really? You can smell him?" Serafine asked, sniffing the air. All she could smell was dirt.

"Your Papa's nose has always been incredibly strong," Mira said.

"Lead the way, Natsu!" Happy cried.

"Just follow me!" Natsu said.

The Dragneels walked the paths following Natsu's lead. He walked with confidence and never thought twice, even when needing to choose a turn. Had anyone not already known, they would have sworn that Natsu knew the layout of this enormous labyrinth like the back of his hand. And before long, a familiar voice reached their ears, echoing off of the stone walls.

"See? Easy peasy!" Natsu said as the group turned the last corner.

Brac was standing in front of a low set, round stone table. Lucius and several of his fellow compatriots stood around the table with him. His hands were on his hips as he laughed loudly. Spread out across the table top were several large sheets of parchment that were curled up at the edges and held down by small stones. Brac turned towards the sound of the approaching footsteps and his large smile grew larger. "Would ya look at that? You found us! Color me impressed. Good morning to you, friends!"

Natsu lifted his hand. "Yo! What's everyone up to?"

"Reviewing the plans for tomorrow's operation," Brac replied. "We need to completely memorize everything to help things run smoothly. Feel like taking a look?"

"You bet!" Natsu nodded. He dashed forward and squeezed himself into the circle. His eyes darted across the page like a child marveling at a new toy, his face alight with glee.

Mira smiled softly at Natsu. _'He's so adorable when he gets like this.'_

"How's it look?" Brac asked.

Natsu tore his eyes from the parchment and looked at Brac with his large smile still plastered on his face. "I have no idea what I'm looking at."

Brac laughed. "A bit confusing, huh?"

Natsu scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "In all my excitement I completely forgot that I don't know what the inside of the Capital looks like."

Brac crossed his arms and nodded. "Makes sense. The only reason we have schematics is because of intelligence gathered through spy networks and informants over the course of several years. I should have realized that newcomers would have no idea what to expect." He clapped his hands. "Tell ya what. All you have to do is memorize movement patterns. We'll describe everything else. Sound good?"

"That's simple enough," Mira said.

"Aside from having to explain stuff to us, are things all set?" Happy asked.

Brac gave the blue Exceed a thumbs up. "It's looking good. We already readjusted to include you all. The plans are complete."

"Alright!" Natsu cheered.

"And supplies?" Mira inquired. "You mentioned yesterday there were preparations that needed to be made."

"Right you are," Brac said. "Actually I was just about to send Lucius to pick up a few minor items that could prove crucial."

"What kind of items?" Serafine asked.

"They're some magic items we ordered that are now made and ready for pick up," Brac explained.

"Where'd you order them from?" Mira asked.

"A nearby small village where a supporter to our cause lives."

"It sounds risky if the village is so near the Capital."

"True, but nothing about what we're doing can be considered safe."

"So you're going alone?" Serafine asked Lucius. There was this strange discomfort in her chest as she looked at the boy.

"I was going to, yes," Lucius answered. "Did you want to come along?"

Serafine's face felt warm. "Yeah, sure."

Lucius smiled and nodded. He turned to his father. "We won't be long. We'll pick up the items and get back as quick as possible."

"Good lad!" Brac said, gripping his son's shoulder. "You look out for each other. And don't hesitate to abandon ship if you sense something out of the ordinary. We can get by without the items if need be."

"Yes, father," Lucius said before turning to Serafine. "Ready to head out?"

She nodded. She followed Lucius to what she could only imagine was a path leading outside.

Natsu and Brac began to talk about plans for tomorrow's operation with the rest of the men. Happy perched on top of Natsu's messy pink locks and observed the conversation. Mira, on the other hand, watched her daughter walk off with a smile. _'My, my. It would appear that I was right. Sorry, Natsu, but our little girl is growing up right before our eyes.'_

* * *

To say that the village of Faireast was small would be an understatement. If you stood on one side of the village you could easily see the other end. It was comprised of small clusters of tiny one story houses scattered around the small plot of land. Each house had cracked roofs and crumbling walls. The wood that they were built from seemed to be rotting. There were no trees and no vegetation anywhere in the village, save for a few patches of dying grass. The entire village quietly slept in a sea of mud. There was no color to be seen anywhere. It was like the village was dead.

Even the people seemed drained of life. Their dirty clothes were brown, yet the mud from their labor was visible. The clothes were also very poorly made. Stitches were frayed and unraveling. Some garments had spots where it was clear that a patch-up was attempted, but the quality was suffering. As Serafine and Lucius walked through the village, all eyes were turned towards them. But they weren't looking at Lucius.

They were looking at Serafine.

Serafine felt incredibly uncomfortable under their gaze. It was like they were trying to find out every little thing about her by staring at her. She could feel her skin crawling. And it wasn't just the fact they were looking at her. Their eyes seemed soulless. It was as if they were just going through the motions of life, becoming momentarily distracted by a shiny new object they had never seen before. She kept her head down and walked a bit faster, accidentally bumping into Lucius's back as she did so.

He looked back at her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry," Serafine replied with a small voice, fixing her gaze on Lucius's back.

Lucius reached back and grabbed her hand. "Just stay close, okay?" he said softly. "Just in case."

Serafine felt calmer having Lucius's strong, calloused hand grasping hers so tightly. She could feel her body begin to relax. She closed her fingers around his hand. "Will they do anything?"

"It's possible," he replied. "They're living in such poverty that many have resorted to petty theft to get by. Some have been known to get a little violent."

"I can't believe you were going to come here alone," Serafine said.

"Well these people have seen me before. They know I'm on their side. Plus, they know I really have nothing of value. You on the other hand…well…"

"They'd be willing to find out."

"That's one way to put it."

Serafine kept her head down, but peeked out of the corner of her eye. She could see everyone still staring at her. "I kinda wish they'd stop looking at me. It's freaking me out."

"We're almost there. Just think about something else."

She shot him a look even though she knew Lucius couldn't see her. "Think about something else? Really? That's your advice?"

"Yeah."

"Well sorry to break it to you, but it kinda sucks."

Lucius hummed. "Tell me Serafine; do you have a boyfriend back home?"

Serafine's eyes widened. Her whole face and ears turned bright red. Her body became as straight and rigid as a pole. "What kind of question is that?!" she shrieked. Everyone around her jumped back from the sudden outburst. She slumped forward in embarrassment. "Why are you asking something so random?"

"What? I was curious," Lucius said with a small chuckle.

Serafine glared at his back, her heavy blush not fading. "What are you laughing at?"

"You."

"You're a jerk."

"And you're fun to tease."

"Shut up."

"So? Are you going to answer?"

Serafine huffed. "No 'cause you're a jerkface."

"That's too bad. I really wanted to know."

She punched him in the back. "Stop saying weird stuff!"

Lucius laughed. "Okay, okay, I give! I'm sorry."

"Fine, but I won't forgive you anymore after this."

Lucius stopped. "Understood. By the way, we're here."

Serafine blinked. "Huh? Already?"

"See? Thinking about something else helped, now didn't it?"

The two were standing in front of a tiny, isolated shack. In terms of appearance it looked like all of the other houses. The only difference was a small stone well beside the structure and a poorly made sign made from a slab of wood hanging in the window. The sign was hard to read, as the letters had faded with time and weather, but they could just make out the words "PAXON GOODS" in big red letters.

Lucius led Serafine by the hand into the small building. The door creaked loudly as it swung open, threatening to topple if any more weight were applied to its surface. Inside they could see large wooden shelves lining the two side walls. The shelves were filled with small bags of food, small metal tools, piles of lumber, and many other assorted items.

Across the way from the door was a tiny wrap around desk made from the same wood as the shelves. Standing behind it was a small woman. Her messy brown hair was pulled back in a bun and her hands were folded behind her back. Her clothes were just as disheveled as the villagers' clothes. Yet her eyes, though clearly tired, were a little brighter and she had a small smile on her face as she watched her customers enter her shop.

"Lucius. Good to see you," the woman said with a slight bow of her head.

"How are you today, Mrs. Paxon?" Lucius said, returning the greeting.

"Eh, same as I was yesterday I suppose. Guess that means I can't really complain," Mrs. Paxon replied. "And who is this fine young lady? She's very pretty. "

Serafine squirmed uncomfortably while Lucius answered. "This is Serafine."

"A pretty name, too. I love your vibrant, pink hair, dear. And I especially love the streaks of silver. It's so unique."

"Umm…thanks," Serafine replied sheepishly.

Mrs. Paxon put a hand to her mouth and giggled softly. "You two must be mighty fond of each other holding hands like that."

Serafine looked down to where her hand was still grasping Lucius's hand. With a small squeal and a flushed expression she tore her hand away. "It's not like that!"

"My apologies, dear. I shouldn't have assumed," Mrs. Paxon said with another small bow of her head. "So Lucius, I can only imagine that you've come to pick up your custom order?"

Lucius nodded. "That's right."

Mrs. Paxon nodded and bent down, disappearing behind the desk. A few moments later she stood back up and placed a large wooden crate on the counter. "Here's your order then. I think you'll find everything will meet your expectations."

"I'm sure it will. You've never disappointed, Mrs. Paxon," Lucius said. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small cloth pouch held together by a drawstring. He placed it on the counter. It made a metallic sound as it met the wood. "Here's what I owe you."

Mrs. Paxon picked up the pouch and pulled it open. She sifted through the contents, eyes focused as she counted the money. After a while her eyes widened and she looked up at Lucius. "My dear boy, this is far more than your order was worth."

"Compliments of my father," Lucius replied with an honest smile. "He says that it's a little bonus for all that you do. Plus, it couldn't have been easy to get your hands on the materials needed to craft our items."

Mrs. Paxon placed the bag underneath the desk as she sniffed. "Bless his heart. He's far too kind. I can't thank you or your father enough for all you've done for me. Without your business I would have to close up shop. Then what would I do for income? I'd end up like everyone else in this sorry excuse for a village."

Serafine shivered at the thought. "That would be awful."

Mrs. Paxon smiled gently at her. "I can tell that this is your first visit to Faireast."

"Yes ma'am," Serafine said.

"I can't blame you for seeing the people here the way you do. But try to understand that the situation everyone's in is one of desperation. No one knows how to handle such poor conditions."

"But hasn't it been bad for a while?" Serafine asked.

"True, but what I guess you don't know about this village is that it used to be much larger and much more prosperous."

Serafine's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

Mrs. Paxon shook her head. "I'm not. Faireast used to be the top location for the manufacturing and distribution of magic tools and magic tool-related services. It was our specialty. We used to be quite famous for it. People from all over the world would come here to make purchases. However…"

"King Faust happened," Serafine surmised.

Mrs. Paxon nodded. "You guessed it. As soon as that demon took control of this country and began monopolizing all of the magic, people quickly lost business. Even selling magic tools became illegal. Folks closed up shop and high-tailed it out of here once all those laws came down. Those who stayed suffered. No one in this village knew of any other trades, so the village quickly died. We tore down houses that no one was using because too much mold had grown. Without any income, we couldn't even keep the land for long."

Serafine couldn't believe the story she just heard. "How can people even still live here?" she asked.

"It's because of Mrs. Paxon," Lucius said. "She uses the meager earnings she makes with this shop to maintain business and keep the people alive."

"That's amazing!" Serafine exclaimed with awe. "You're a total hero!"

Mrs. Paxon waved her hand. "Oh, don't listen to him. He's just talking me up. I haven't done anything worth mentioning. You've seen these poor people. Forget the rags they're forced to wear. They barely eat enough food."

"But it's you, Mrs. Paxon, who ensures that they're at least eating something," Lucius said. "You truly are a godsend. For the people of this village, you are hope." He picked up the wooden crate with a grunt and bowed low. "Thank you again for your service, Mrs. Paxon."

Serafine followed Lucius's lead. "Yes, thank you. For this and everything that you do."

Mrs. Paxon smiled gently. "It's a pleasure to serve you. And it was so lovely to meet you Serafine." She put a hand to her mouth. "I do have to say, you two would make an adorable couple."

Steam almost erupted from Serafine's ears as her whole face turned red. She bolted upright and waved her hands rapidly in front of her. "I swear there's nothing like that between us! We are not a couple!" She looked over shyly at Lucius. The boy was laughing quietly and scratching his head of messy hair. His cheeks were also flushed. _'Is he blushing? And why does that make me feel even more embarrassed?'_

With a final wave, Lucius and Serafine left the small shop. Mrs. Paxon waved back at them until the door swung closed. She sighed softly. "I'm counting on you, Lucius and Serafine. We're hanging on by just a worn thread. You and the rest of White Wing are truly the last hope we have."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

 _ **Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey**_

 **Chapter 9**

"Rose, you must rest."

With a grunt, Rose drove her pickaxe into the smooth stone. She blew a strand of sweaty brown hair out of her face and turned her head to look at her husband. His thin face expressed worry. She glanced at his hands, which were covered in mud and blisters. His thin shirt was heavy from sweat and dirt. She turned back to her pickaxe and pulled it from the rocky tunnel wall. "I can't stop now, Gareth. Not when we're so close."

Gareth put a firm hand on her arm to stop her. "Pushing yourself won't help anything. You must drink water. You must eat. You must sleep. Please."

"Have you seriously forgotten?" she asked sharply, ripping her arm from Gareth's fingers. "Why we joined White Wing? Why we're building this tunnel? All of it?"

"Of course I haven't," he replied gently.

"Then you know why I can't stop. I need to see this through until the end." She lifted the pickaxe over her head and swung it down. A large chunk of rock split from the earth and tumbled to her feet. "Can you pick that up for me?"

Gareth sighed as he did what she asked. "Rose, you're not the only one working. If you rest, no one will think ill of you. They will understand. Just take a break, please."

"We're almost finished. A few more hours and we should be done. I'll rest then."

"You're not thinking straight, Rose."

Rose tried to pull her pickaxe from the rocks, but it wouldn't budge. With a frustrated groan, she pulled and pulled but the blade was lodged too deep and her strength had all but run out. She dropped to her knees, panting.

Gareth was immediately by her side. "Rose! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she wheezed. "I can still work."

"You can't be serious! You're clearly exhausted."

"Let me work, Gareth."

"Enough!" Gareth said softly but sternly. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "I won't stand by and watch you work yourself into an early grave! This isn't healthy! Not for you and certainly not for—!"

Gareth was interrupted by a loud crashing sound. He turned around to see a massive slab of now broken clay and mud resting in the middle of a group of workers. A heavy cloud of dirt had risen up from its impact. He looked up and saw a small hole where light from the setting sun was pouring through.

"We've done it!" one of the workers whispered excitedly. "We've finished the Tunnel!"

"Earlier than expected, too," another coughed. "We're just that good."

"I'm glad we finished sooner than scheduled. I'm beat!" a third spoke up.

"Quick, pack the hole with some dirt. I'd hate if they found this tunnel before tomorrow."

"Damn, good point. Who knows what they'd do?"

"Either explode the Tunnel closed or invade it. Neither is a desirable outcome."

A smile appeared on Gareth's face as he turned back to his wife. "See that, Rose? We've done it! The Tunnel of Hope is complete!"

Rose looked up and her eyes brightened. She smiled and let out a small laugh. "We…We did it! We actually finished it!"

Gareth embraced his wife. "Yes, Rose."

She buried her face in his shoulder and cried. She grabbed the shirt on his back, bunching it in her fist. "I can't believe it," she rasped.

He kissed her head. "Now will you rest?"

She silently nodded.

"Good," Gareth said. "I'll go alert Brac that we finished. Head to bed, my love."

She nodded again and released her grip on her husband. He gave her one last kiss and stood up. She listened to his fading, swift footsteps. Her tears were falling uncontrollably. She sniffed and laughed again. "We did it. Now we can fight for a better world." She looked down at her stomach and gently rested her hand upon it. "A better world for years to come. For your future, my little one."

* * *

"Mind if I ask a question?"

Serafine looked at Lucius. His eyes were still straight ahead, but there was a small smile on his face. She folded her hands behind her back and looked at the rocky ceiling of the White Wing tunnel. "Sure, I guess. What's on your mind?"

"Tell me about your hometown. You know, where you and your family came from. What's it like?"

Serafine raised an eyebrow, looking back at Lucius. _'That's a strange question to ask out of the blue.'_ She shrugged it off and answered regardless. "It's a nice place. The whole town is lively. The people are really nice. I love everything about it."

Lucius nodded. "I see."

Serafine leaned forward. "So is there a reason why you asked such a random question? Or is it that you just felt like being random?"

Lucius laughed. "I have my reasons."

"Oh come on," Serafine whined. "Now I'm even more curious!"

Lucius's grin was growing wider. He was clearly enjoying teasing Serafine. "That's a shame."

Serafine puffed out her cheeks. She grabbed onto his arm and tugged. "Spill it already!"

"Easy, easy!" Lucius warned with a chuckle. "Don't make me drop the package! It's not light you know."

She huffed, but released her grip. She didn't want to make him drop something so important. "So since you're being a jerk about explaining yourself, can you at least tell me what's in the box? What did your dad special order from Mrs. Paxon? I mean, I know that they're magic items, but what are they exactly?"

Lucius readjusted his grip on the box with a soft grunt. He could easily describe every single item in the box to Serafine since he was present with his father when he and some of the other members put the order together. In fact, there was even something for him inside that he had wanted. However, he just couldn't resist teasing Serafine. The way her face would so clearly reflect her displeasure was just too cute. He couldn't let a single opportunity get away. With a playful smile, Lucius looked away. "Sorry, that's a military secret."

Serafine gently beat on his shoulder with her fists repeatedly. "You suuuuuuuuck!"

"Hey, hey, hey! What'd I just say about making me drop this?"

"It'll be your fault!"

"I hardly agree with that assessment. Wouldn't the one shaking the carrier be held responsible?"

"Not if the carrier is a jerk!"

The two continued on like this—Serafine whining, Lucius teasing her and laughing—the rest of the way through the tunnels. Eventually they made their way to the meeting room where Brac, Natsu, Mira, Happy, and many of the White Wing members were gathered.

Brac noticed the two enter and held up his hand. "Good, you've returned!" he bellowed. "Any trouble on your way?"

Lucius put the wooden box down and brushed his hands together. "None at all."

"Good! Glad to hear it!" He walked over and squatted down. He ran his hand gently across the wood of the box. "How's Saya doing? Was she able to put together everything?"

"Yes, she was. Everything should be in there."

Brac laughed and rubbed his hands together. "Well let's take a look, shall we?" With his strong hands, he gripped the lid of the box and ripped it off with a loud crack of splintering wood. He whistled. "My, my. Ain't they gorgeous?"

Serafine leaned forward to try and see what was inside, but there was too much of what appeared to be straw packed all around the contents. From her vantage point, she couldn't see what was inside. "What'd you get? Lucius wouldn't tell me."

Brac raised an eyebrow at his son. "Really? Why?"

Lucius shrugged. "She's fun to tease." This remark earned him a playful elbow to the arm from Serafine.

Brac erupted in laughter. "Is she now? Well allow me to satisfy your curiosity, young Serafine." He reached inside of the box and lifted out two small, shiny, silver metal cylinders. There was a hollow, thin nozzle on one end of each. "Ah, looks like my order is the first one!"

"What'd you get?" Natsu asked. He seemed even more excited than Brac to see the contents.

"These little babies are hydraulic boosters," Brac replied as he looked over his new item.

"What do they do?" Happy asked.

"Using magic fuel, they gather up and store energy which can be forcefully expelled. When I attach these babies to my Stone Cleaver, she'll get a huge boost of offensive power. Instead of just digging quickly, I can send massive boulders flying over 500 feet."

"Impressive," Mira said. "Is the entirety of your order weapons?"

"Mostly, yes. There's also plenty of magic fuel cells that my darling Saya tweaked so that they store more power and last longer."

"Mrs. Paxon is amazing," Serafine breathed.

"Who?" Natsu asked.

"Mrs. Paxon! She's this amazing woman, Papa! She does so much for the people of her village to keep them alive and give them hope!"

"You're right. She does sound awesome!" Natsu agreed with a big grin.

Brac put the cylinders down. One by one he took out amazing, high quality weapons, handing them out to the gathered White Wing members. Each one marveled at their personal creation crafted by Mrs. Paxon.

"Last one," Brac said as he reached deep inside one last time. He lifted out an object that looked like a handheld cannon. It was about as long and thick as one of Brac's muscular arms. It was sleek and black in color. The mouth was round and about the size of a bowling ball. Attached to the slightly larger back was a small grip attached to a cord. A long handle was welded on top of the barrel. Brac whistled. "Ain't this one a beaut?"

"What is it?" Happy asked.

Brac smiled. "This here is a wind cannon. It gathers up wind inside, stores it in a chamber located in the back, and then shoots it out with the force of a hurricane. It's a great weapon. Heavy as hell, though." He turned to Lucius. "You sure you can handle this?"

Lucius nodded with a large grin. He was staring at the wind cannon with wonder and excitement. "I'm sure, father. After all, I was the one who drew up the specs. Mrs. Paxon designed it with that in mind."

"You mean…this is _yours_?" Serafine cried.

"Yeah," Lucius said quickly as he took it from his father like it was a new toy being given to an eager child. He seemed to carry it with ease as he gave it a closer look from every angle. "It's breathtaking!"

"It's also massive!"

Brac stood up. "Even though you wrote up the plans, it's still safer to make sure you can manage the weapon. Take it for a test drive, Lucius. Fire a tiny blast at the floor."

Lucius gripped the handle tightly. "Right, father." He aimed the barrel at the floor and, with his free hand, took the back grip in his hand. He slowly drew back. Wind and loose dirt was sucked inside like a vacuum. After a few seconds Lucius released the grip and the cord snapped back into place. As soon as he let go, a powerful blast of wind shot out of the barrel and smashed into the floor. The ground vibrated. Dirt and stone broke away, leaving a small hole behind. Lucius lifted the weapon, an even bigger smile on his face. "It's perfect! The recoil is a lot less than I thought it would be. Leave it to Mrs. Paxon!"

Brac laughed. "Good! Seems like it will work well for you."

"Brac! Brac!" an echoing voice called out from one of the tunnels. Soon a thin man came bolting inside. He stopped in front of Brac, hunched over as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Ah, Gareth! Good to see ya, lad!" Brac greeted. "What's the rush all about?"

Gareth stood up straight. He was still out of breath, but his face showed nothing but joy. "Brac, it's…it's done! The Tunnel of Hope has been finished!"

Everyone in the room gasped.

Brac's eyes were wide. "You serious?! But it's not even dark yet!"

"I know, but we did it! We broke through to the surface!" Gareth said excitedly. "We blocked the hole to remain hidden just to be safe."

Brac laughed heartily. "Fantastic! This is most excellent news!" He clapped a large hand on Gareth's shoulders. "Relay a message for me, Gareth. Tell everyone to clear out and rest up. Eat, drink, sleep; whatever they need to do. They'll need their strength for tomorrow. We strike at dawn."

Gareth nodded and took off towards the Tunnel.

Brac turned towards the others gathered in the room. "I hope you're all ready for one hell of a fight tomorrow." He looked towards the Dragneels. "Not to scare you, but the future depends on what we do tomorrow. It's a big responsibility."

Natsu snickered, holding up his palm and igniting a flame. "Oh I've been ready for action since the very beginning!"

"We're ready. We'll fight with everything we have," Mira assured.

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered.

Serafine clenched her fists and nodded, a determined look in her eyes. "We'll win! We can do this!"

"Alright then!" Brac bellowed while thrusting his fist in the air. "Get yourselves physically and mentally prepared! Tomorrow we fight!"

* * *

The moon was beginning to sink and the sun was about to creep over the horizon. It had been a cool, still, serene night. But that was all to change when dawn broke.

Underground at the very end of the Tunnel of Hope, the members of White Wing were preparing for battle. All faces showed a mix of determination and fear. They all knew that this had to be done and they were more than willing, but they also understood that some of them may lose their lives in this fight, leaving behind loved ones and friends. With solemn expressions and fast beating hearts, they readied themselves with armor, weapons, and magic fuel as back up.

"Man I am so fired up!" Natsu exclaimed, trying to suppress his voice volume through closed teeth. His whole body was trembling with eager anticipation.

"I know it's been a whole day since you fought, Natsu, but try to calm down," Happy sighed.

"How can I be calm? Don't you remember?" Natsu clenched his fist. "Lisanna could be in there. How could I possibly contain myself?"

"We all feel that way, Natsu, but if you're not careful you'll blow our cover. We're directly below the Capital don't forget," Mira said. She was sitting on a nearby boulder, her trembling hands folded in her lap. Since arriving at the end of the Tunnel that morning, her legs felt like noodles and her heart was beating like a drum. No matter what she said to herself, she couldn't keep from feeling overly hopeful. She was so excited that her entire body felt numb.

Natsu smiled at her and knelt in front of her. He gently placed his hand over hers. He could tell how she was truly feeling just by looking at her. "Don't worry. I'll behave until the fight."

Mira returned the smile. She could feel tears beginning to sting her eyes. "Thank you, Natsu."

He gently put his hand behind her head and leaned forward until his forehead was resting against hers. "Any time."

Serafine looked at her parents. She was excited for the chance to meet her Aunt Lisanna, someone she had heard a lot about over the years. But still, no matter how much she told herself that she had to be brave like her parents, she was scared; scared to fight in her first actual large scale battle.

Before coming to Edolas with her parents and Uncle Happy, she had only ever had play skirmishes with her father or her Uncle Elfman. She had never taken on any missions that required fighting; only missions that were rather simple. Her magic power just wasn't strong enough for anything more exciting. She was strong at hand to hand combat because of her training with her father and on rare occasions her mother, but here in Edolas she was forced to face the harsh reality that her weak magic power made her a liability. After all, the last time she had fought she was almost killed. It was only intervention from her father that had kept her safe from the Capital guards. It made her realize just how useless in a fight she really was and how much she held her parents back.

Still, her parents had faith and confidence in her. Lucius thought the meager power she had was incredible. All of their kindness made her feel stronger and gave her courage. She placed a hand over her chest and took a deep breath. She was still scared, but she knew she could do this. She could fight by her parents' side like she had always dreamed. Magic power or not, she could fight and she could win.

"You alright there, kiddo?" Natsu asked Serafine.

Serafine nodded with a confident grin. "Yeah. Guess I'm just getting excited, too."

Mira's brow crinkled. She knew her daughter well enough to know when she was excited and when she was frightened. And the expression she was making was clearly a mask to hide the latter. "You know, you don't have to fight with us if you don't want to. It's not too late to change your mind."

Serafine shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. You guys have confidence in me, right? That means that everything will be fine."

"You're right. We have complete faith in you," Mira said brightly. "If you're sure it's what you want then I won't try to change your mind. Just promise me you'll be careful, alright?"

"I will be," Serafine promised. She then noticed out of the corner of her eye Lucius walking towards a crate of supplies. "I'll be right back!" she said as she ran towards the boy.

Natsu lifted an eyebrow. "Where's she going?"

Mira giggled. "Who knows?"

Serafine slowed until she was behind Lucius. She tapped him on the shoulder and he turned to face her with a smile. Her eyes immediately scanned him. The first thing that she noticed was that he wasn't wearing his normal clothes. Instead, he was wearing a sleeveless black shirt underneath light armor that covered his torso. There were also two light shin guards on his legs. His thin yet strong arms were completely exposed.

The second thing she noticed was that his thick black hair that was usually wild and untidy was pulled back into a messy ponytail. There were a couple stray locks here and there, so she could only assume that he wasn't wearing it that way as a fashion choice.

The last thing she noticed was that his new weapon—the wind cannon—was strapped securely to his back. She still couldn't believe that he was going to fight with something so huge. Wasn't it going to wear him out quickly? She pushed the thought out of her mind and waved her hand. "Hey there. You look like quite the soldier."

Lucius's cheeks flushed as he laughed. "Thanks. I kind of feel like one. So you ready? We'll be moving out any minute now."

Serafine nodded. She put a big smile on her face and gave a thumbs up. "Yup. I'm ready!"

Lucius's smile faded slightly. Serafine's eyes were flickering. Her hand was shaking slightly. The corners of her mouth twitched. They were faint signs, barely noticeable in fact, but he picked up on them. He could tell that she was trying her best to be brave like her parents, but she was clearly nervous about fighting.

And in all honesty, he was, too. His heart was beating harder than it ever had before. But how could he not feel that way? He knew all too well what the Capital was capable of. He knew how ruthless and cruel they were. He couldn't help picturing scenarios where White Wing was wiped out and it terrified him.

But there was something about seeing Serafine look this way that made him feel sick. He couldn't bear it. He wanted to see her smile her usual smile, not this fake smile she was showing now. He reached out and took her shaking hand. "Serafine…"

Serafine's body went rigid and her face turned bright red. "What are you doing?" she hissed. Her voice was a much higher octave than it usually was.

"Listen…there's something I want to tell you."

Serafine's heart was beating even faster, which she didn't think was possible. "Wh…What is it?"

Lucius looked deep into her eyes. "There's really only one way to say this, so here goes…you have something in your teeth."

Serafine's eyes went blank. "Heh?"

Lucius burst out laughing. "Wow, you should see the look on your face! It's too priceless!" He hunched over, clutching his stomach. "I can't breathe!"

Serafine grinded her teeth together, a tick mark on her forehead. "Why you…you don't say something like that to a girl!"

"I'm sorry, I was just kidding! There's nothing there!"

"I don't care! You're such a jerk!"

Mira could hear the conversation from her seat. She smiled warmly at the young boy who was clutching his stomach, having his shoulder gently beaten by an irritated Serafine. _'I see. He's trying to tease her to take her mind off of her nerves. He truly has a kind heart. You're a lucky girl, Serafine. He clearly cares a lot for you.'_

* * *

Brac stared up at the roof of the Tunnel. He could see the loose dirt that had been packed into the small opening his fellow freedom fighters had created. He smiled, took a deep breath, and looked back down at the members of White Wing that had gathered around him. He lifted his magic tool over his head. "There's nothing else to say. I hope you're all prepared because it gets real now." The crowd in front of him gave a silent nod. Some gripped their weapons a little tighter. Others—namely Natsu—were bouncing like a caged puppy waiting to be let out to play. Brac raised his magic tool a little higher until the tip of the tool was pressed against the dirt. He gripped down on the handle, there was an audible click, and the dirt was blown away into the air. The faint rays from the early morning sun poured inside, gently touching everyone's faces. A wide grin broke onto Brac's face. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's raise some hell!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello friends! We're beginning to wind down with this story and what a chapter (in my mind-I really liked how it turned out). This is a nice long one so enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

 _ **Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey**_

 **Chapter 10**

The soft early light of the sun touched the cool stones of the Capital wall, slowly illuminating it. Dew that had accumulated over night sparkled as the rays touched them, making the already impressive structure shine faintly like crystal. The guards that stood atop the wall remained stationary, but blinked as they tried to adjust to the absence of night.

Dawn had come.

And then came the sound of a hissing scream from somewhere inside the wall. The guards alertly turned towards the sound and watched as a trail of smoke and sparks rose high into the air. It was a small magic flare used to send signals across large distances. They watched it for only a moment, knowing they had to return to watching the perimeter for intruders.

However, in that moment the flare had done its job.

Taking the opportunity, a small group of White Wing members poured out of their tunnel and commenced the attack. With magic weapons fully fueled, they fired at the guards, shooting down as many as they could before they could react. Magic bullets pierced the shoulders, legs and backs of several guards. Those that were hit fell to the ground, hands clutching their wounds, while the rest turned and retaliated. Higher ranking guards barked out orders. Guards posted on the wall and on the ground fired bolts of magic from their trident-like weapons.

While the small group of about two dozen White Wing fighters held the attention of the Capital guards, the rest of White Wing and the Dragneels made a break for the west side of the city. Those in the back activated their magic weapons and small hexagonal barriers sprung out to cover them. Alone the barriers were nothing special, but with the number of barriers activated it was as if all of White Wing's rear was being protected by a turtle's shell. Even if the guards locked in combat noticed them, they wouldn't be able to intercept them.

White Wing's last stand had finally begun.

* * *

High up in the majestic tower at the very center of the Capital, King Faust sat upon his grand throne. He was stroking his long, white beard and slouching slightly as he listened to the man kneeling before him. "You said they're attacking?" His voice was rough and intimidating, but he didn't sound the least bit concerned to hear that his kingdom was under assault.

The guard kneeling before him looked up with wild eyes. "Yes, my Lordship! It's that rebellious White Wing, sir. They've gotten inside the Capital and have already shot down several guards! According to reports from the main gate, a large group has made their way inside headed west while our main force is being held back by a smaller group. The larger group is running through our inner forces like it's nothing!"

King Faust hummed. "Is that so?"

"What do we do, sir? Please give the order!"

A wicked smile split King Faust's wrinkled face. "I give them credit for finding a way inside. They're more resourceful than I gave them credit for. But it matters not. They'll still be wiped out." The tall king stood and raised his hand. "Tell General Krex to head to the main gate. He will burn those pesky flies to ashes. Also, have General Hela and General Boyart intercept the others."

"But my Lordship, we don't know where the larger group is headed. Where do we send Generals Hela and Boyart?"

"Where else would they be headed?" King Faust said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "They're clearly headed to the dungeons to save their fellow traitors. After all, scum watches out for fellow scum."

The guard shot up and bowed. "Yes sir! I will give the three generals your orders!"

King Faust sat back down as the guard sprinted out of the throne room. He laughed to himself as he imagined how White Wing would meet its end. "I'm glad they've come. They saved me the trouble of hunting them down and killing them."

* * *

Finding cover behind a standing stone slab, Lucius took a deep breath. He pressed his back against the hard, cool surface and held his wind cannon against his chest. The drumming of his fast beating heart echoed in his ears, drowning out the sound of magic bolts and bullets whizzing around the air.

Lucius and his wind cannon had been assigned to the distraction unit. His father believed that the weapon would be critical to scattering large groups of guards and he was right. Lucius had only managed to fire two shots so far, but each shot collided with the ground with enough power to push away the unsuspecting guards like they were feathers in a gale wind.

Breathing slowly out of his mouth, Lucius pulled back on the grip. Wind began collecting in the chamber. Once he was satisfied with what he had collected, he peeked from behind his cover. He could see his fellow guild mates locked in combat. A few of his friends were on the ground, holding wounds to their legs or torsos. Fortunately, no one had taken fatal damage yet.

Peeking a little further, he could see a cluster of guards trying to advance towards them while firing magic bolts from their weapons. Holding his weapon securely to his body, he performed a tuck and roll out in the open. He stopped in a kneeling position, aimed his wind cannon, and released the grip. An enormous blast of wind rocketed out of the cannon's mouth and destroyed the ground in front of the guards. They all flew backwards with a cry, weapons leaving their flailing hands.

He didn't take any time to admire his weapon's work, for he was already tucking and rolling back to his cover to prepare another shot. As much power as his weapon had, the one drawback was that it took time to load up and he couldn't afford to stand in the open while doing so. He took another peek at the battle before him. _'Going pretty well so far. Best of luck, everyone.'_

* * *

"Don't let them adva—!"

The guard who spoke was interrupted by a ball of flames colliding with his body. The man sprawled backwards and crashed into a wall.

Natsu snickered, fists ablaze. "Who else wants some, eh?"

The White Wing group tasked with freeing all of the captured wizards charged forward through the Capital. Brac, the one who knew how to navigate the inner workings of the Capital and was supposed to lead the way, could only laugh at seeing Natsu's enthusiasm burst forth in front of him. "Atta boy, Natsu! Don't hold anything back!"

"He's like a kid in a candy store," Happy giggled.

"Just don't break anything," Mira quickly added. The goal was to save their fellow wizards, which would be made difficult if the buildings started collapsing.

"Got it! FIRE DRAGON ARCING FLAME!" Natsu voiced his understanding right before swinging his arm at several guards and knocking them away with a powerful stream of flames. "I won't give these guys any time to put up a barrier!"

Brac nodded before looking over his shoulder. "How's the shield holding up back there?"

"It's taken some hits from magic blasts, but it's still intact!" one of the rear White Wing members replied.

"Excellent!" Brac cheered. He couldn't believe how much simpler this was turning out to be. With the shields crafted by Mrs. Paxon protecting their backs and Natsu's incredible power making quick work of the front, they had yet to be hindered. His men were able to completely focus on the left and right, which allowed them to swiftly react to any attempted attacks. The lack of significant obstacles made him smile. _'You see that, you old bastard? Even with the best magic weapons at your disposal, you're no match for freedom!'_ Brac looked towards Mira. "I'm surprised you aren't joining your husband, Miss Mira."

Mira smiled at him sweetly. "Oh, believe me. Natsu's capable of bringing about enough chaos without me getting involved. If things get troublesome though, I won't hesitate to assist."

Serafine watched her father make simple work of all the guards he saw. It wasn't anything new to her, but it still amazed her. She only wished to have flames like his so that she could be right beside him, fighting. _'Papa really is incredible.'_

To continue their way towards the dungeons, the group had to pass through a short tunnel that connected the outer levels where they currently were to the Capital's center. From there they would have to take a staircase straight down below the surface. Having gone over the plans the day before and with Brac's reminder, Natsu banked a sharp right where the tunnel soon came into view.

"FREEZE ALL THAT LIES BEFORE ME! ARCTIC WASTELAND!"

An incredible wave of icy wind and hail collapsed onto the White Wing members. They were all forced to stop and brace themselves from the sudden attack.

The source of the attack was a saber with a bright sapphire attached to the hilt. Clutching its bejeweled handle was a female knight. Thick, heavy armor bearing the symbol of the Capital covered her entire body. The only part of her that wasn't hidden by silver armor was her head. Short blonde hair whipped about from the force of her own attack. Sharp, icy blue eyes stared down her targets.

"You couldn't even give them a chance, Hela?" a man standing beside her chuckled. Just like her, he was covered almost completely in thick, heavy armor that had the Capital's symbol on the breastplate. He also wore no helmet and his long brown hair snapped back and forth as if it were alive. A look of joy reflected in his hazel eyes. His hand was resting on a golden jewel attached to the hilt of his sheathed sword. "What fun can we possibly have with them if you freeze them to death right off the bat?"

Hela lowered her saber, the icy storm dissipating. The sapphire jewel at the end of her sword's hilt became duller in color. She turned her sharp gaze to her partner. "Our orders are to eliminate the intruders," Hela snapped. "I'm simply doing what King Faust ordered. You would be wise to do the same, General Boyart."

Boyart sighed. "Always so serious! You know, you would be a lot cuter if you loosened up a bit."

Hela gave a soft "hmph" and sheathed her saber. "I have no interest in changing who I am. Anyway, we're finished here."

"Aww, already?"

Hela's eyes snapped open in shock. Even Boyart's amused look faded as he peered through the mist of ice created by his partner.

The faint sound of hissing steam echoed on the still air as a figure came into view.

Natsu stood with a delighted look on his face. Thin flames covered his entire body like a veil, immediately melting any ice that came remotely close. He took a step forward. "I thought I had finally found someone worth fighting, but you're already done? That's boring."

"Aye, Natsu never feels satisfied unless he can really go all out," Happy sighed.

Hela took a step backwards reflexively. "I…Impossible! No one has ever withstood my magic before!"

Natsu scratched his cheek. "Well it was definitely really strong. Unfortunately, I've been fighting against way stronger ice magic attacks for years so I know exactly how to handle that kind of stuff."

"But to survive Hela's Arctic Wasteland," Boyart breathed. "You have to be some kind of demon!"

"No, that would be me," Mira chimed in with a smile, stepping up beside her husband.

Boyart gulped as he, too, stepped backwards. The woman before him was beyond beautiful and her smile was sweeter than anything he had ever seen, yet he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that shot up and down his spine. That kind mask she wore couldn't completely erase a dark aura hidden within that had him petrified. "Who are you people?"

"We're people who want freedom for all," Mira replied. "That's why we are offering our help to White Wing. Their mission is a just one."

Boyart gritted his teeth and drew his broad sword. The jovial expression from before had completely vanished and was replaced by a vicious scowl. "You dare to make a mockery of King Faust and his personal Imperial Generals?!"

Hela drew her saber as well. "We have been granted magic power above even the Royal Guard Captains. We will see our orders fulfilled for King Faust!"

"Enough already," Natsu groaned. "I'm seriously sick of hearing about this Faust bastard. Now move out of our way so that we can rip him from his throne." Flames ignited all around Natsu, shaking the very ground. "Or stay and fight. Both work fine with me."

"Sorry Natsu, but we don't have time for a drawn out fight," Mira said. The moment those words left her lips, a dark magic power enveloped her like a cocoon. A set of claws soon tore them away, revealing Mira in her Satan Soul form. She shot a wicked grin at the two Generals. "There are people fighting to give us this opportunity and there are victims of Faust waiting for us up ahead. It would be cruel to make any of them wait longer than they have to, wouldn't you agree?"

Natsu looked at her and nodded with a smile. "Yeah, you're right. Whadya say we make quick work of these clowns?"

Brac and the rest of White Wing stood awestruck. "Such power…," he muttered. "And what kind of magic is Miss Mira using? A kind of transformation magic?"

"It's her Take Over magic," Serafine answered proudly. "My Mama has the power to take control of and use the power of demons."

"Incredible!" Brac bellowed with a laugh. "To think she has such power and we had no idea! Both of your parents are absolutely out of this world, Serafine!"

Serafine's eyes reflected the visages of her parents standing confidently before her with their overwhelming magic power surrounding them. She smiled. "Yeah. They really are amazing. My parents can't ever be beaten."

Hela and Boyart raised their weapons. From Hela's hilt, the sapphire burst with light and ice began to form around the blade. From Boyart's hilt, the topaz ignited and bright light poured from the steel. ""DIE, BLASPHEMOUS TRAITORS!"" they both bellowed before launching their magic attacks. A powerful mixed blast of ice and light shattered the stone of the path and tunnel in its wake as it barreled towards the Dragneels.

"DO IT MAMA! PAPA! BEAT THEM!" Serafine cried over the roar of the magic bomb.

Natsu and Mira looked at each other and in an instant, with but a look, they discussed and agreed upon their next move.

 _'Can we use our move?'_

 _'Alright, but don't put too much into it. We'll be searching through ruins if we go all out.'_

 _'Right. Let's do this, Mira!'_

 _'Yes, Natsu!'_

The two took each other's hand. From Natsu's left, flames quickly burst out. From Mira's right, darkness seeped out and mixed with his flames. They pointed at the incoming attack with their joined hands.

""DEMON DRAGON APOCALYPTIC FLAME!""

A thick beam of dark fire launched forward from their hands. In an instant it ripped apart and destroyed the combined attack from the Generals. The tunnel was charred and began to break. The attack struck the two swordsmen before they could even react. They both screamed as they were launched backwards and into the wall of a building. Their armor smoldering from the heat of the flames, they collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Natsu and Mira lowered their hands, but didn't let go. Natsu's flames vanished. Mira returned to her human form in a flash of light.

Serafine ran up to her parents. "That was incredible, Mama! Papa! I didn't know you had such an ace up your sleeves!"

Natsu and Mira looked towards their daughter and smiled.

"Ace? That wasn't our ace, kiddo!" Natsu snickered.

Serafine's eyes widened. She looked away to assess the damage left behind from her parents' combined attack. The ground, the tunnel, and even the far wall were completely black from the power of the flames. The Generals, who were certainly strong, were taken out in one blow, their thick armor even melting in some places as smoke billowed from their bodies. _'How was_ that _not an ace move?'_

"I'm absolutely speechless, but it's like Miss Mira said," Brac said as he and the rest of White Wing ran up. "We can't keep everyone waiting. Let's move!"

"Right!"

* * *

The underground dungeons of the Capital were cold and dark. Single magic-fueled torches that gave off no heat were spread out across the entire long, narrow hole. Hard, uneven, dull gray stones made up the floors, walls, and even the ceiling. Dirty water dripped through the cracks from leaky sewer systems above. Lining the walls were small, narrow cells that were no larger than tool sheds. The doors were made up crudely formed, bent iron bars. Crammed inside each cell were a couple dozen prisoners.

All of the prisoners seemed lifeless, their eyes staring at nothing. They huddled together, most likely for warmth. Dirty, torn rags sagged on their thin, malnourished bodies. Some didn't even lift their heads upon hearing footsteps enter the hall.

"How awful," Serafine breathed as she took in what was around her. Her hand was covering her nose and mouth, for the air was foul. She could only imagine that it was human waste; these people probably had to relieve themselves in their confinement. "How could they treat human beings like this?"

"They're all wizards who opposed Faust," Brac replied solemnly. He reached out to touch one of the cell bars, but quickly withdrew his hand with a hiss. He looked down at his palm to see a small cut from the rust. "This was their punishment."

"It's disgusting," Mira said, clenching her fists. "It's something no one with a conscious could dream up."

"This group has clearly been imprisoned for a very long time," Brac said.

"We can sit around all day talking about it," Natsu began as he stepped forward. He lit his hands on fire, fully illuminating the dark dungeon. "Or we could get these people out of here as soon as possible!" He swung his right hand at the bars in one swift motion. The heat and power of his flames melted the bars enough that he was able to easily snap off pieces. He continued his effort with alternating swings until there was almost nothing left of the iron cage.

Once Natsu finished, he turned to Brac. "These people are in no condition to help us fight and it would be too risky to bring them anywhere near the fighting. What should we do about that?"

Brac nodded his agreement and replied. "I agree with you, but I'll be damned if I leave these poor people in here any longer. They need to get out of here. My group and I will work on getting these people out of the dungeon and into a safe place to hide for now. You and your family should work on breaking down the rest of the cells and freeing everyone else. Come find us at the dungeon entrance when you've freed everyone."

Natsu looked at Mira and the two nodded. "We'll handle it. Count on us!"

"I always can," Brac said with a smile. "Now get to it!"

Natsu's flames sparked with increased vigor as he went to work breaking down each and every cell door. With each cell door broken, he would move further down the tunnel, making sure to alternate sides to get everyone. Meanwhile, the White Wing members worked to free everyone from their cages.

It was clear that the newer prisoners were kept farther back. As Natsu approached, he started to see people who were more responsive, crawling toward him, scratching at their cells, begging to be set free. While they were dressed the same, they had more fight and strength in them than the first few sets of prisoners. And with every cell door broken, swarms of wizards would poor out and rush towards the exit, tripping as they shrieked gleefully.

Before too long, Natsu, Mira, Serafine, and Happy reached the final occupied cell. It was in the darkest, coldest area of the dungeon since it was so far from any sun or air. However, Natsu's bright flames erased it all as they looked inside.

"Mira? Natsu?"

It was a soft girl's voice that drew their attention and in that moment had both of them frozen. Mira instinctively grabbed hold of Natsu's sleeve, her breaths catching in her throat. It was as if she had forgotten how to breathe. They both stared with wide eyes.

The young woman they saw looking back at them had long, messy, filthy white hair. Her blue dress was torn in many places and seemed like it could fall off of her at any moment. Her body was bruised, scratched, and unwashed. Her large, blue eyes reflected the light of Natsu's flames as she took everything in through long bangs.

Mira opened her mouth, but no words would come. She was still trying to convince herself that what she was seeing was real. It certainly felt like a dream. Her legs felt suddenly weak and without her hold on Natsu she probably would have collapsed to the ground.

With every bit of mental and emotional strength, she pushed one word out of her throat.

"L…Lis…anna?"

Happy fluttered to the ground, large tears leaking out of his eyes. "Is…is it really you, Lisanna?"

The young woman held herself up with thin arms. She seemed shocked at first, but soon her eyes began to tremble and tears began to form. With a weak smile, she crawled on her hands and knees over to the bars of her cage. Once she got there, she let out a weak laugh. "Yes…Happy, it's me. It's Lisanna!"

Happy couldn't hold it back any longer. His sorrow overflowed and he loudly wept with joy. He leapt at the bars, snaking his way through one of the irregular holes. Once he was through he dove for Lisanna's chest, burrowing his face in her breasts like he used to so many years ago whenever he was sad.

Lisanna wrapped her arms around her son and cried. "I never thought I would see you again. I can't believe it! But what are you doing here?"

"We came to find you," Happy said.

Lisanna blinked. "But…how did you—?"

Natsu snapped out of his stupor and refocused on his still burning flames. They roared to life with more intensity than before. "What's it matter? Let's bust you out of here!" He swung his arms and broke the bars completely like they were simple cardboard. The long metal rods fell to the stone floor with a loud clang. Everyone in the cell rose and flocked toward the light of Natsu's flames like moths.

Lisanna rose as well with Happy still in her arms. Slowly she approached the sister she hadn't seen in over ten years. "Mira," she rasped, her voice robbed of her from the whirlwind of emotions raging inside of her.

Mira practically lunged at Lisanna, embracing her tightly. Rivers of tears flowed down her cheeks and onto her sister's shoulder. "Lisanna! My Lisanna! I thought…I thought I would never see you again!"

Lisanna removed one arm from Happy to embrace her sister. She gripped her shirt in her hand. "I know. I still can't believe that you came all the way to Edolas."

Serafine watched everything unfold quietly. "So that's Aunt Lisanna?"

"Yeah," Natsu said softly. He had a smile on his face, his eyes glistening. "That's her."

Serafine smiled. She then gasped. "Umm…Papa?"

Natsu couldn't tear his eyes off of Mira and Lisanna, but he still acknowledged Serafine with a hum.

"L…Look at those people."

Natsu turned his head. What he saw…he couldn't even begin to explain it. Standing before him was a sea of familiar faces; faces from his friends from Fairy Tail.

There was Gray. And Cana. Elfman and Lucy, too. The only ones he didn't see in the cell were Erza, Gajeel, Laxus and Makarov. His eyes darted from face to face, trying desperately to make sense of the situation.

But before he could even hazard a guess, he was thrown for another loop.

He saw himself. And he saw Mira.

"What the hell is going on?" Natsu muttered.

Serafine gripped her father's pants and hid slightly behind him. She was totally freaked out by the sudden appearance of her parents' doppelgangers. "Papa, who _are_ these people?"

Lisanna lifter her head and looked at Natsu. "Did that little girl just call you 'Papa', Natsu?"

Natsu nodded, eyes trained on his double. "Yeah. This is my daughter, Serafine."

Lisanna's eyes widened. "You…you have a daughter? Did you get married? To who?"

Mira lifted her head from Lisanna's shoulder and took a step back. She lifted her hand to show Lisanna the ring on her finger. "We have a lot to catch you up on, but now isn't the time. The short version is that Natsu and I are married and Serafine is our teenage daughter."

Lisanna was speechless.

Natsu forced his eyes closed and scratched his head furiously. "There are a lot of questions that we all have here, especially me, but like Mira said; now's not the time." He opened his eyes. "We need to get moving. Brac and the rest of White Wing are waiting for us outside."

"White Wing? What are they doing here?" Lisanna asked.

"We joined up with them to take down Faust," Mira explained. "If you're all feeling well enough, we could really use your help in the fight."

"You kidding?" 'Lucy' said while cracking her knuckles. A confident smile split her face. "We'd do anything to get revenge on that old bastard and rip him a new one!"

Natsu was taken aback. "Lucy, what the hell has gotten into you?"

'Lucy' raised an eyebrow at him. "I could say the same to you. 'Course I know you're not the real Natsu since my Natsu's right here." She flung her arm around 'Natsu''s shoulder. The pink haired man stumbled slightly and gave a small embarrassed smile.

Natsu roared at the ceiling. "Stop! This is really hurting my head! Let's just get the hell outside and start fighting!"

"RIGHT!" all of 'Fairy Tail' roared as they made a mad dash for the exit.

Natsu, Mira, Serafine, Happy, and Lisanna were the only ones still in the dungeon as the triumphant roar began to die down.

"Yeah," Natsu said with a sigh as the group began to follow the others. "You've got _a lot_ to explain, Lisanna."

Lisanna looked out of the corner of her eye at Natsu before looking sorrowfully at the ground. "Yeah. You do too, Natsu."

* * *

The Dragneels and all of the freed prisoners met up with Brac and his group just outside the dungeon. There were several prisoners who were set up along the wall if they were too weak to stand. Everyone else was given some kind of small magic tool to fight with. Once everyone was equipped and magic cells were replaced for full charges, the mass of fighters took off for the Capital gates to meet up with the distraction unit.

"Man this sucks," Lucy complained, eyeing the magic tool in her hand. "I wish I had something better to fight with."

"Sorry, but we had to make sure we packed small. Otherwise a lot of people would be completely unarmed," Brac explained.

"It makes perfect sense," Cana said sweetly. "Thank you very much for all you've done."

"Think nothing of it, miss," Brac said.

"The front gate is up ahead!" one of the White Wing members announced.

The group entered the southern-most section of the Capital. They could see the distraction unit locked in combat with a small army of guards.

And a second later, there was an explosion.

A massive magic pulse had detonated right in the middle of the White Wing distraction unit. The ground shook violently, spewing up clumps of earth and stone, showering the advancing group. They were forced to stop to shield their bodies from the debris.

And once the dirt cloud settled, they were met with a most terrible sight.

The entire distraction unit had been wiped out. Every single member was lying on the ground, unmoving.

"No way," Natsu breathed. "What the hell just happened?"

Brac stepped forward slowly as if in a trance. "Joby…Milic…Sandra…everyone…" He then sharply inhaled. "Lucius…LUCIUS! WHERE'S MY BOY?!" His voice boomed across the area, eyes frantically scanning the bodies of his friends and fallen guards. He took off running, searching desperately for his son through the destruction.

Serafine felt her chest ache. "I'm going to help look!" she shouted as she took off running, not waiting around for permission or acknowledgement. _'Please, Lucius. Please don't be dead.'_

She searched and searched, trying not to vomit at times when she came across a victim of the blast whose skin was charred or limb was missing. Whenever she saw someone like that, her mind would always replace their face with Lucius's face. It was a vision she couldn't bear.

Her search brought her to a small, collapsed wall. And it was there that she saw a familiar head of messy dark hair lying on the ground beneath a stone slab. Her heart felt like it had stopped. "Lucius!" She ran to his side and fell to her knees beside him. His eyes were closed and his face was covered in filth. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Hold on! I'll get you out!" she cried. She dug her fingers into the dirt to try and get a grip on the stone. However, the stone was much too large and far too heavy for her to lift. And yet, she wouldn't stop trying. She lifted with all of her might, long grunts escaping her throat. Her fingers rubbed against the stone roughly, cutting her skin, but she refused to stop. She had to save him.

"Serafine…"

A raspy voice made her freeze. She looked down to see Lucius's eyes half open and looking at her. His eyelids were fluttering, struggling to stay open. His breathing was labored. And he was smiling at her.

He blinked slowly. "Why are you crying?" he asked softly.

Serafine was confused. She reached a hand to her cheek and could feel wet warmth beneath her raw fingertips. She was crying. When had she started crying? She shook her head of the thought and leaned down slightly. "How could I not be crying? Look at you. You're hurt!"

Lucius huffed quietly. It was the best he could do to laugh. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Just smile instead."

"Don't be stupid! How could I smile seeing you like this?"

"Serafine, I never want to see you look sad. Please smile for me."

"I can't!" she wailed. Her tears were falling from her eyes faster and faster, dripping down onto the stone that covered Lucius's body.

Lucius's eyes were beginning to feel very heavy. "Then can you show me your flame again? I think it'll make me feel better."

Serafine sniffed and raised her hand. She stared at her palm intently, willing her flame to appear. But it would not come. "H…Huh? Wait, where is it?"

His eyes were beginning to close. "Your flame is so beautiful, Serafine."

"No, hold on! I'll get it! Just…just don't close your eyes okay?" she begged.

"It's so much like your smile," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "So bright and it fills me with such warmth."

Serafine's eyes were practically burning a hole in her palm. Suddenly, her flame sprung to life. "Ah! There it is! See, Lucius? Can you see my—?"

She stopped before she could finish. She had looked away from her palm when her flame appeared and looked back at Lucius. But the boy's eyes had closed.

Tears fell from Serafine's eyes and onto Lucius's still face. "No," she rasped. "Wake up! Lucius…wake up!" Her flame danced slightly in her palm, threatening to go out. "You didn't see my flame. You need to open your eyes." Lucius didn't respond. She gripped her shirt above her chest with her free hand and lurched forward. "LUCIUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUS!"

Serafine's cries had alerted everyone to where he was.

The first one to arrive was Brac. His normal smile was completely gone and his bright, hopeful eyes had dulled completely. He collapsed to the ground on the other side of his son. He put a large hand gently on his cheek. "My boy…my son…" Large, wet tears streamed down his face.

"I'm sorry," Serafine croaked. She was still hunched over on her knees, eyes still leaking tears, small flame still burning in her palm. "I couldn't…I couldn't do anything for him. I couldn't smile for him like he wanted. I couldn't show him my flame like he wanted. Lucius, I'm sorry!"

"No, Serafine," Brac said softly. "The blame rests solely on my shoulders. I shouldn't have let him get so involved. This is no one's fault but my own."

Serafine didn't answer. She could only vent her sorrow.

Mira knelt beside her and rubbed her back. She didn't say anything. After all, she knew from experience; when someone you care about is taken from you, no words can clear away the pain. So she stayed silent, letting her daughter know that she cared through her presence.

"Well that was just sad."

A rough voice echoed on the silent wind. Stepping forward was a man covered almost completely in thick, heavy armor that had the Capital's symbol on the breastplate. His face was rugged and emotionless, scars from past battles above his right eye and across his jaw. His short, silver gray hair stood almost straight up as if it were electrified. Gripped in his hand was a massive sword. Smoke billowed from the steel as it rested on the man's shoulder.

The man stopped and eyed the intruders with cold, black eyes. "My Lord, King Faust, ordered me to the main gate to dispose of the flies that had gathered, but they were hardly worth my time. One swing was enough to kill them all. Pathetic."

Brac rose to his feet, fury taking over. "YOU BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY SON FROM ME! AND MY FRIENDS! YOU WILL PAY FOR IT ALL!"

The man sighed. "I know you. You're Brac, aren't you? You've gained quite the reputation of being a thorn in my Lord's side." A wicked grin began to crack his façade. "You could actually give me a bit of fun."

Natsu stepped up next to Brac, flames enveloping his fists. Thick veins throbbed in his forehead and neck. "I may not have known them for long, but they were still people I could call friends! I will burn you to ashes!" The rest of White Wing and all of the freed prisoners stepped up behind the two with determination to avenge the others.

Mira stood up as well to join the fight. She wanted to give Serafine the chance to grieve alone. She walked up beside Natsu and took her Satan Soul form. "You think you can take all of us on at once? Laughable."

The man raised his sword. "Please. This many is nothing. I was made a General for my ability to deal with such disadvantage easily!" His blade began to glow bright orange. "Now I, General Krex, will eliminate all of my Lord's enemies!"

But before the fighting could begin, a massive and mighty flame burst to life with a powerful roar…

…from behind the freedom fighters.

 **It's funny...Lisanna was lost in Chapter 10 of _A Diary's Secret_ and now she has been reunited with her family in Chapter 10 of this story. I really didn't plan for that. I love coincidences!**


	11. Chapter 11

**HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! I hope you all have a wonderful new year!**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

 _ **Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey**_

 **Chapter 11**

The raging inferno rose high into the air like a tower, tearing through the clouds in the atmosphere. Floating islands were swallowed whole and crumbled to ash. Sweltering heat filled the air. The roar of the flames was deafening and their immense power shook the earth.

Deep within the wall of fire echoed an animalistic shriek that sent shivers down the spines of many of the onlookers.

"What the hell is that?" Brac bellowed over the flames' roar. A heavy sweat clung to his skin from the heat and he wiped it away as best he could with his hand. "Where did this fire come from?"

Natsu and Mira both stared with wide eyes at the flames before them. Sweat clung to their bodies as well, but for a fire user like Natsu, it wasn't the heat that was getting to him; he was sweating for a whole different reason. "It can't be," he breathed.

Mira gripped Natsu's arm with her clawed hand. "Natsu…what's happening to Serafine?"

"I have no idea. I've never felt such strong magic power coming from her before."

Happy gulped. "We…We're sure that _is_ Serafine, right?"

"That's her magic power for sure. No doubt about it," Natsu said with a nod. "And that scream…that was also definitely her voice."

"Then what do we do?" Happy asked. "What if she can't control that power? She could be hurt!"

Natsu gritted his teeth. "HEY SERAFINE!" he shouted, his voice somehow overpowering the roar of the flames. "CAN YOU HEAR ME IN THERE? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

There was no answer. The shriek had died out. Other than the crackling of embers and the rumbling of the ground, there was no sound.

"Hold on there, Natsu," Brac said. "You're not trying to tell me that Serafine is the reason for this fire, are you? How is that possible? No magic tool could create such power!"

Krex chuckled, gently bouncing his massive sword against his armored shoulder. "Well things actually took an interesting turn. Still, that blaze is nothing compared to what I can create with Hell Blazer!" His sword once again glowed orange, and as he lifted it and swung it down with enough force to cleave stone, an arcing flame shot out from the blade. The flames raced towards the wall of fire and exploded, but had no effect. Krex's smile faded completely. "What in the world? Nothing has ever stood against my magic! Not even the strongest of blazes could rage on in the face of my power!"

The wall of flame fluctuated slightly before beginning to narrow. As the power focused towards its epicenter, the shaking intensified. White Wing members and freed prisoners fell to the ground, terror flooding their bodies. Natsu, Mira, Brac, Krex and several others used every ounce of strength and balance they had to stay upright.

Then, with one final tremor, the flames disappeared completely. Everything became eerily quiet.

And standing there was Serafine Dragneel. But she wasn't the same girl that everyone remembered. Even her parents barely recognized her.

Pieces of her red T-shirt and white shorts had burned away. Her shoes had completely disintegrated, her bare feet exposed to the scorched earth. The checkered scarf around her neck was in one piece, but even the strong magic safeguarding the fabric barely protected it from being singed. The silver streaks in her pink hair were glowing brightly like the moon and whipped around as if they were alive. Her creamy white skin had become a dark ash gray and was covered in bright, glowing red marks that wrapped around her entire body like rivers of lava.

She was looking down at the motionless body of Lucius, who had somehow remained completely unharmed by the incredible flames that had enveloped him and Serafine. Steam was hissing from the corners of her eyes in thin streaks. She turned and looked up, fixing a burning glare at General Krex. But these were not her normal eyes. Her cobalt blue eyes were gone. Instead, her irises had become a deep orange and the whites of her eyes had gone black.

"What in the world?" Brac breathed.

"Serafine," Mira sobbed. Her chest felt tight. Her daughter had finally acquired her magic power after years of hard work and effort, but at this moment, looking at what her daughter had become, she was torn between pride and concern.

"What's happened to her?" Happy asked, tears in his eyes.

Natsu felt his body tense up. His chest constricted. He could hardly breathe. The way his daughter looked took his breath away. "Serafine…you're a…"

Krex pointed his sword at Serafine. "What are you? No magic tool could do this, especially without my Lord, King Faust, knowing about it! What tricks did you use? Speak, monster!"

Natsu spun around. "What did you call my daughter?!" he roared at Krex.

"…wo…ive…u."

A soft hiss, barely louder than a whisper, escaped from Serafine's taut lips.

"Speak up, monster!" Krex ordered. "Answer me or be eliminated!"

Serafine threw her head back and released an ear-splitting shriek. "I WON'T FORGIVE YOOOOOOOOOU!" The power of her voice tore through the wind, shaking the ground and even the thick stone walls surrounding the Capital. The sound had everyone reaching for their ears.

Krex winced as it felt like his ear drums were about to shatter. "You cannot defeat me with such cheap tricks. I am a veteran of several wars who has seen victory more than anyone in the history of Edolas." He gripped his sword tighter with both hands. Once again the blade began to glow. "Now die with your fellow traitors!" He swung the blade upwards, shooting another projectile of flames at Serafine.

However, in a split second, Serafine reacted. Her head snapped forward and she released a whistling, misshapen missile of flames from her throat coupled with an angry shout. The small projectile collided with the incoming fire and forced an explosion.

"Incredible," Happy breathed. "Serafine is…strong!"

"Hold on, Serafine! Papa's coming!" Natsu called out, stepping forward to fight with his daughter.

"Stay back, Papa!"

A harsh tone from Serafine made Natsu freeze. She glanced over at him and, for a moment, he forgot who he was looking at. The look in her eyes reflected nothing but hatred, something he had never seen in his daughter before. "But Serafine, you…"

" _I_ will be the one to make him pay," Serafine said, her voice darker than it had ever sounded before. She looked away, returning her attention to her enemy. "No one else can touch him. He's mine."

Natsu was speechless. He didn't know what to say. Serafine had never spoken like this before.

"Serafine, please just wait! We'll help you!" Mira called out.

However, Serafine wasn't listening anymore. "Why?" she growled. Her eyes were wide and quivering with rage. "What did they do? Why did they have to die? All they wanted was freedom! Was that so wrong?!"

Krex lowered his blade. "Freedom? You believe what these people sought was freedom? Don't make me laugh. All they wanted was a reason to rebel. Pretty words like liberation, justice, and morality hold no true meaning to them. They are nothing more than a means to an end. Being free has nothing to do with it. They can't comprehend what lies ahead so they fight. It's as simple as that. My Lord, King Faust, is doing what needs to be done for the good of this country. Parasites like White Wing need to be incinerated until nothing remains."

The red marks on Serafine's arms began to glow even brighter as she drew them back. "SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUP!" she roared. She thrust her arms forward and a burst of wild, powerful flames shot out. They enveloped everything in their path, burning it all to ashes.

Krex leapt high as the flames sailed beneath him. He could feel the powerful heat on his skin. "Such power."

Natsu clenched his fists, watching as crates, barrels, wagons, and other goods were burned away to cinders. _'This is what I was afraid of. Serafine now has incredible magic power alright, but it's too much at once. She's had no time to hone her skills and now the power of her magic is overflowing. It's too much for her to control all at once. Add on to that the fact she's not thinking clearly due to grief. While she has an enemy in mind, she can't reign in her power enough to avoid collateral damage. She may not consider her surroundings. Which means everyone here…'_ He turned his head to look at Brac, who was staring in stunned amazement. "Yo, Brac! You've got to take everyone and fall back to the tunnels! Escape now!"

Brac blinked upon hearing his name and turned to Natsu. "Are you nuts? We came here to take down Faust! We can't turn tail now! It would be an insult to those who have laid down their lives here on this battlefield!"

"If you don't go now, you may all be joining the dead!" he spat back. "Serafine doesn't have enough control over her power. You'll all get roasted alive if you don't get out of here!"

"Natsu, I—!" Brac began, prepared to argue with Natsu. However, a calm hand from Mira silenced him. He looked into her trembling sapphire blue eyes and froze. "Miss Mira…"

"Please have faith in us," Mira said. Her voice was slightly uneven, like she was fighting back tears. "Once Serafine has calmed down, we will take care of Faust. Believe in us."

"Aye," Happy said seriously, nodding his blue head.

Brac looked over at Lucius. Tears welled up in his eyes. He knew he was being selfish wanting to avenge his boy. And he also knew there were other people to think about. He couldn't endanger them for his own vendetta. "Very well. We'll fall back for now." He looked back to Mira. "However, once we hear the fighting has stopped, we're coming back to help you with Faust. And I won't take no for an answer!"

Mira gave him a small smile and nodded. "Very well."

Brac nodded and gave the order to fall back. Everyone began running for the tunnel, including the freed prisoners. Lisanna hung back for a brief moment, shooting Mira and Natsu a silent 'Good luck' and a smile before joining up with the others.

Mira let out a long, slow breath as she left her Satan Soul. "Really…first we find Lisanna, then Lucius and so many others die, and now Serafine is…Serafine is…"

"I know," Natsu said soothingly.

"Honestly, Natsu, I don't know how much more my emotions can take today."

"It's been one hell of a day, that's for sure."

"And what about Serafine?" Happy asked. "Are we really going to let her fight alone?"

Natsu shook his head, looking at the twisted face of his daughter as she unleased powerful, untamed infernos from her arms, chasing the surprisingly nimble Krex around the main gate. "Like hell I want her to fight alone. But…"

"But what?" Happy inquired, curious as to what could be keeping Natsu from joining a fight with his daughter.

Natsu gave the best smile he could, but there was clear uncertainty behind it. "She wants to fight this one on her own. While it may be stupid and selfish, I kind of want to let her experience this on her own."

Happy sighed. "Really? How reckless can you be, Natsu? Are you sure you're really her father?"

Natsu gave him an irritated look. "Hey, if things start looking dicey, I'll jump in without hesitation. After all, I'm the only one who won't get burned by her magic. I'll make sure she stays safe."

"I don't know, Natsu," Mira said. "I think we should help her. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to her."

"But still, I think she's old enough to try things like this on her own. Have a little faith in her."

Mira pouted. "That's not fair, Natsu. You know I have faith in her completely."

"Good." Natsu smiled and took her hand. "Then let's keep an eye on her while she kicks some bad guy ass!"

Krex grumbled in annoyance as he tucked and rolled away, just managing to avoid the reach of the flames. He had no time to catch his breath, however, for soon Serafine was quickly able to redirect her attack to continue her pursuit. _'This damn brat…she won't let up! What kind of magic tool is this that she can use so much power at once with no recharge?'_ He needed to regroup and formulate a plan of attack, but that wouldn't be possible with the wildfires chasing after him. His eyes quickly scanned the area for potential cover. He knew anything flammable was out of the question; he witnessed enough wooden objects be deleted to know better.

His next thought was to hide behind one of the stone supports along the outer wall. However, his experienced, calculating mind quickly erased that idea. Based on the angle of the attacks, he wouldn't be properly covered to avoid damage from such a wide-spread attack.

He continued to look around, constantly leaping and ducking away from his opponent's flames. However, there was no apt place to hide.

His flames couldn't break through the girl's flames.

There was no place to regroup.

That left one option for him.

His sword began to glow orange. He landed nimbly on the ground before pushing off with enough force to disturb the dirt, launching himself at Serafine like a bullet. With a roar, he drew back his sword, prepared to swing.

Serafine's eyes twitched. She dropped her arms. All of the red markings on her body began to glow and she shrieked. When she did, flames dispersed around her in a rapidly growing barrier of orange.

The fiery bubble enveloped Krex. He felt intense heat burning his skin on contact. He grunted in pain, lost his focus, and fell forward. He rolled to a stop on the ground, his sword still clutched in his hand.

Serafine's eyes narrowed and she leapt forward, practically floating across the ground. She drew back her foot as erratic, lashing flames shrouded it. She launched her attack, landing a bone-shattering kick to the side of Krex's face with a loud smack. The burly man went sailing back and into the base of the stone outer wall.

"She's actually winning!" Happy cheered.

Natsu nodded. _'I can't believe how much power she's unleashing on this guy, especially since this is the first time she's using magic. But still, her control isn't all there and if this fight continues too much longer, it will only continue to suffer. She may end up hurting herself.'_ He cupped his hands around his mouth. "SERAFINE! YOU NEED TO STOP FIGHITNG NOW! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS! YOUR POWER IS TOO NEW TO YOU!"

"No, Papa," Serafine refused. Flames gathered in her hand as a formless ball, much like she was holding a giant soap bubble in her palm. It danced about and threatened to pop. She threw it with all of her might where Krex had fallen. It exploded in a cloud of crimson flames. "He has to suffer. He has to suffer for what he did! He killed him…he killed Lucius!" Steam began hissing from the corners of her eyes again. "I won't show him any mercy!"

Mira glanced over to where Serafine's last attack had landed. The flames, smoke, and dirt cloud were fading away. She could just make out the form of Krex lying motionless on the ground, his sword lying several feet from his body. "But Serafine, you've already won! Look, he's been beaten! He can't go on. So stop now!"

Serafine's body shook, the red markings glowing once more. "No! I won't stop! He hasn't suffered enough!"

"Serafine, that's enough!" Mira said, her voice gaining more authority. She wasn't about to let her daughter become like the very man she hated by allowing her to attack an already defeated opponent.

"He needs to hurt more! He needs to feel the same pain I feel!" Serafine wailed, flames swirling around her body.

Before anyone could blink, Natsu had leapt forward. He ran to his daughter and wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her close to his body. "That's enough," he said calmly.

"Let go of me, Papa," Serafine growled, pressing her hands against his chest in an attempt to push him off. However, her father wasn't budging. "I said let me go!"

He continued, ignoring her demand. "You've done enough. You've won your first fight with _your own magic_. I can't tell you how proud I am of you."

"Let go!"

"But you know, Serafine, I don't think Lucius would want to see you like this; so full of hate and revenge."

Serafine froze. "But I…"

"You know I'm right."

Serafine's eyes closed. She leaned forward and rested her head against Natsu's stomach. The flames that had been dancing around her vanished. Steam continued to hiss from her eyes even louder. "Papa…it hurts so much, Papa!" she sobbed.

Natsu put a hand on his daughter's head. "Shh. I know," he whispered softly. "I know it hurts."

The silver streaks in Serafine's pink hair lost their bright shine and calmly rested among the rest of her silky locks. The ashen color of her skin faded away and her creamy white skin returned. The bright, glowing red marks that had covered her entire body vanished into her skin. The black and orange in her eyes melted away until her cobalt blue eyes were sparkling with tears that now ran like rivers down her cheeks. And from her mouth, now buried in her father's warm body, poured sorrowful, pained cries.

Mira ran to her daughter and joined the embrace. "Oh, Serafine. You had me so worried! But still, I am so proud of you. I love you so much." She couldn't fight the tears from falling as she squeezed her family tight.

Natsu chuckled softly. "Now don't you start crying, Mira."

"I can't help it. I told you, it's been too much," Mira replied.

After a few moments of silence, White Wing and the stronger, able-bodied prisoners filed out of the exit of the Tunnel of Hope. "That was some fine work, Serafine," Brac complimented. His voice was rather soft, nowhere near his usual exuberance. "I was quite impressed by your skill. I never knew you possessed such a unique magic tool."

Natsu chuckled nervously. _'Right, a magic tool. They really still think that we use magic tools in spite of everything. I think it's easier to just let him believe that than to actually try to explain how we take pills every day to fuel the magic within our bodies.'_

Brac took a deep breath and cleared his throat. He looked off and focused his gaze on the center of the Capital. "You see that tall tower? That's where we need to be if we're going to defeat Faust and free the people of Edolas."

Natsu, being the only Dragneel with any composure at the moment, turned and looked as well. He narrowed his eyes. "Finally. The time is finally here." He looked down at Serafine. "You think you're gonna be okay to tag along?"

Serafine looked up at him and sniffed. She wiped her teary eyes and nodded with renewed resolve. "Yeah. I'm all fired up!"

Natsu smiled brightly. "That's my girl! Let's go dethrone a mad king!"

* * *

Faust frowned as he looked out his throne room window overlooking the main gate. An attendant was behind him, kneeling with his head bowed. "I see. So then General Krex has failed me."

"Yes, Lord Faust," the attendant replied. "He was bested by a most peculiar magic tool with considerable fire power."

Faust shook his head. "Unbelievable. I should have been able to see how weak he was." He turned around and glared at the attendant. "Fine then. I'll deal with them myself."

The attendant's head shot up. His eyes trembled. "Y…You, Lord Faust? But…But, my Lord, we still have considerable forces left to…"

"DID I STUTTER!?" Faust bellowed.

The attendant's head snapped back down. "No, my Lord! Please forgive me for overstepping."

Faust sighed. "Tell the researchers to ready the weapon." He turned to look back out the window. He could see a large group of people moving towards the center tower. They looked like insects from his vantage point, but he knew exactly who they were. "And tell them to hurry. I want to make sure we're ready for when our uninvited guests arrive."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

 _ **Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey**_

 **Chapter 12**

The blue gray doors leading into the central tower of the Capital were tall and thick. They were designed to be the perfect barrier, even more so than the mighty gates around the outermost wall. They were built using a metal alloy unique to Edolas. The alloy combined several strong ores that could only be found deep beneath the earth in this otherworldly place. Brass bars were fused into the doors in triangular patterns to make them even more stable and on the inner side a thick beam of a similar metal alloy to those doors was laying horizontally across two supports, preventing them from being forced open. They had but one purpose; repel all attacks to ensure the safety of King Faust.

And yet they were no match for the fires of Earth Land.

With a mighty roar that echoed in the chambers of the tower, Natsu thrust his hands forward, discharging a torrent of flames that burst through the door like it was tissue paper. Melted metal curled inwards from the heat of the blast, the beam gave way, and soon there was a wide opening large enough to fit a dragon.

The Dragneels and White Wing entered the capital and stood in the vast foyer. Immaculate stones made up the walls, floor, and ceiling. Decorative chandeliers with brightly lit candles hung from up high. In front of them was a massive stone staircase leading to the next floor and a velvet red carpet draped over it. They could hear the shouts of the Capital guards as they began to organize and head towards the intruders.

"Sounds like the welcoming party is on its way," Brac grumbled as he readied Stone Cleaver. "We don't have time for this! Faust must be stopped!"

"Don't worry about the guards," Natsu said. "Just point us in the direction of Faust. We'll take care of the small fry along the way."

Brac nodded and pointed to the staircase. "He should be in his throne room located on the highest floor."

The large group began making their way up the stairs. Before they could get even halfway up, however, soldiers began pouring in from all directions from above and below. Their trident-like weapons were all humming with magic power.

"Papa, there are so many!" Serafine cried.

Natsu grit his teeth. Based on the enemy's numbers and the fact there were so many allies to consider, he couldn't see a way to take them all out quickly. "Come on…"

"Natsu! Mira! Serafine! Happy! You four go on ahead!" Brac bellowed as he spun on his heels and faced the enemies approaching from the first floor. The rest of White Wing did the same. "We'll hold off anyone coming at you from the rear. You just focus on pushing ahead!"

"Brac," Mira said worriedly. "Are you sure? You're terribly outnumbered. We can help."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Miss Mira. Really, I do. But we have to look at the bigger picture here," Brac said with a smile. "These grunts are only meant to hold us up." He glanced over his shoulder. "All of White Wing—no, all of Edolas—will put their faith and hopes on your shoulders. We believe you can do it. You all have the power to defeat Faust and his limitless magic."

Natsu met his gaze and nodded. "Right. Hold down the fort for us." He took off up the stairs with Mira, Serafine, and Happy right behind him. Flames danced around his arms. "We're counting on you, friend!"

Brac raised his weapon. "And we you, friend!"

Natsu breathed deeply. "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" he bellowed, unleashing a powerful blaze from his mouth that swallowed up all of the guards on the second floor landing. They cried out in pain before collapsing to the ground, unconscious. The Dragneels leapt over their motionless bodies and kept running along the second floor. They could hear the clash of weapons begin to fade behind them as they dashed into one of the hallways. Natsu's eyes hardened. "You all better stay safe," he said softly.

As they ran they searched for staircases leading up to take them to the higher levels and Faust's chambers. The halls were very straight, but would break off into separate paths at random times, leaving it up to chance that they would pick the correct way. Natsu's sense of direction was their only guide.

After several minutes of running with no luck, the group stopped in a hallway with large, dark-paned windows on one wall. Large chandeliers with light lacrimas hung from the ceiling.

"Seriously, how can there be no staircases in this place?" Natsu barked, scratching his head furiously.

Serafine bent forward and put her hands on her knees as she panted. "This castle really is enormous after all."

"Maybe we made a wrong turn?" Mira offered, looking over her shoulder. "I have found it odd that we haven't run into any soldiers yet. You would think they would be pouring out to protect Faust."

"If only we knew what Faust smelled like. Natsu would find him easily that way," Happy groaned.

Suddenly, a soft sound caught Natsu's attention. He turned towards the large window to their left. It didn't sound like the fighting they had left behind and he found that odd. It sounded like a small explosion far off in the distance. "You guys hear that?"

"No, nothing," Mira replied as she looked towards Natsu. She took a battle-ready stance. She knew that even if she couldn't hear anything, she could trust Natsu's senses. And in this situation, what he heard could mean trouble.

"I didn't either," Happy answered.

Serafine lifted her head. "I heard something, Papa. Like a small boom, right? What do you think it was?"

"Don't know," Natsu said slowly. "Be on your guard, everyone."

Another soft sound came from the other side of the window. It was just as short as the last time, but it was slightly louder. The chandeliers above their heads shook slightly.

"Okay, I heard that one," Happy gulped. "What could that be?"

"I don't think waiting around to find out would be a good idea," Mira said.

Natsu nodded. "Right. Keep running!"

The Dragneels bolted down the hall. The sound seemed to be following them. They were always in short bursts, but they kept getting louder and louder. And the source of the sound seemed to now be directly outside the windows.

Just as the Dragneels reached the very center of the hall, a large shadow approached the windows from the outside. Natsu's eyes widened. "Everyone get down!" he shouted as he dove forward, sprawling out flat on the ground.

Mira and Serafine followed suit and Happy dive-bombed the carpeted floor just as a massive metal object crashed through the windows, shattering the glass and splintering the wooden frames as it swung overhead. Because they were all lying flat on the ground, the metal object missed them by a few inches, passing by as it continued its path of destruction. Soon it was disappearing back outside.

Natsu shook his head of small glass pieces that had collected in his hair. "What the hell?!"

"Papa, what was that thing?" Serafine cried.

Mira turned to the left and gasped. "N…Natsu…look!"

Natsu turned and froze. "No way…is that…?"

Serafine had turned to look as well and trembled. "A…dragon?"

Through the now massive hole in the wall leading to the outside of the castle, the Dragneels could see a towering metallic being that looked just like a dragon. It was dark silver in color and was at least 50 feet tall. It looked down at them with glowing red eyes. It stretched its wide, blade like wings and reared back its head. It roared, sending out a metallic wave of sound that tore through the early morning air like nails on a chalkboard. It then proceeded to swing its thick arm down at the Dragneels. They dove out of the way just before the attack could land. In a matter of seconds the floor they had just been lying on was gone. Now there was only a hole leading to the first floor. The large metallic monster withdrew its arm.

 _ **"YOUR REACTIONS ARE BETTER THAN I ANTICIPATED,"**_ a loud voice boomed out of the metallic creature. _**"TO THINK I ACTUALLY MISSED. IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN."**_

"Who are you?" Natsu demanded. " _What_ are you?"

 _ **"WHO AM I?! INSOLENT PESTS! YOU HAVE INVADED MY KINGDOM AND CAUSED ME UNNECESSARY GRIEF! NOW I, KING FAUST, WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO YOUR ERADICATION!"**_

"No way! King Faust is a _dragon_?" Happy gasped.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no," Mira replied. "But I would guess that King Faust is _inside_ that…thing."

Natsu smirked. "Hey, he came right to us. Beats trying to find the stairs, right?" Flames erupted around him as he punched his palm. "And he has a neat toy to play with. I'm all fired up now!"

 _ **"YOU HAVE BRAVADO, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT. BUT YOUR CONFIDENCE IS UNFOUNDED. NO MATTER HOW GREAT THE MAGIC TOOL, NO ONE CAN STAND UP TO MY PRIDE AND JOY; MY DRAGONOID!"**_

"What's a dragonoid?" Serafine asked.

"Based on how it looks, I'd say it's a big weapon shaped like a dragon," Happy answered.

"I don't care what weapon you use, I will stop you, Faust!" Natsu roared. "I will destroy your Anima!"

 _ **"ALL MAGIC POWER SHALL BE MINE! I WON'T LET YOU STAND IN THE WAY OF MY AMBITION!"**_ Faust's voice echoed out.

"And what ambition is that?" Mira asked. "To rule this world with tyranny?"

 _ **"I SHOULD NOT EXPECT PEASANTS LIKE YOU TO UNDERSTAND MY LOFTY GOALS. TO RULE, YOU MUST HAVE POWER. TO ENSURE THAT NONE DARE OPPOSE YOU, YOU MUST HAVE POWER! I HAVE OBTAINED SAID POWER!"**_

Serafine clenched her fists. "And it's worth having people hate you? You're their king! You should inspire hope!" she bellowed. Fresh tears began to fill her eyes. "It's because of you that Lucius…Lucius is…"

 _ **"I CARE NOT WHAT THE MASSES THINK. ALL I WANT IS POWER."**_

"He just wants to rule with an iron fist," Happy said softly. "He doesn't care anything about his people."

"Enough talk!" Natsu shouted. "You ready, Mira?"

Mira nodded as dark energy surrounded her. Moments later it burst away, revealing Mira in her Satan Soul form. "Of course. Let's end this, Natsu!"

"You won't be interfering anymore."

Mira and Natsu turned towards the sound of the voice. Needless to say, the familiar face that greeted them left them stunned.

"Erza?!" Natsu shouted. "What the…what are you doing here?!"

Erza stood before the Dragneels with a fierce look in her eyes. She wore a halter top breast plate, exposing much of her torso. Her arms and legs were covered with light, form fitting gauntlets and greaves. Her upper thighs were covered only by a flowing piece of cloth. A dark scarf was wrapped around her neck and her scarlet red hair was tied back in a ponytail. In her hand she wielded a long spear that glinted in the early morning light. She lifted her weapon and pointed it at Natsu and Mira. "My Lord's enemies shall meet their end."

 _ **"AHH, KNIGHTWALKER. HOW GOOD OF YOU TO COME."**_ Faust's voice was dripping with sarcasm as it echoed out from the dragonoid.

Erza quickly kneeled toward Faust. She bowed her head slightly and closed her eyes. "I do apologize, Lord Faust. However, I've only just returned from a subjugation mission in the far west. I came right here once I became aware of the situation."

 _ **"ARE YOU MAKING EXCUSES, KNIGHTWALKER?"**_ Faust threatened.

Erza's head lowered further. "Of course not, my Lord. Please forgive me."

Faust was silent for a while, then spoke. _**"VERY WELL. TAKE CARE OF THINGS FOR ME."**_

"Of course, my Lord." Erza lifted her head and opened her eyes. She stood and turned towards her opponents. A sadistic smile split her face. "For opposing you, they will receive no mercy from me. I will look forward to killing them slowly."

"Yeah, that's not Erza," Happy said. "Creeeepyyyyy."

Serafine shivered. "Hearing those words come from someone who looks just like Aunt Erza is freaky."

"Looks like they don't want to make things easy for us," Mira sighed.

"Eh, I think it's more exciting this way," Natsu smirked.

Mira turned to face Erza. "I can take her myself. You've got Faust?"

"You read my mind."

"What about me?" Serafine asked, pointing to herself.

"You sit tight with Happy," Natsu instructed.

"But you saw me before! I can fight!"

"Yeah, you can fight alright. But your control over your power is too new. Until you can call upon and wield your magic with more consistency, it's not a good idea to push it." Natsu looked over his shoulder and smiled softly at his daughter. "You understand?"

Serafine's head sank, but she nodded her understanding.

"That's my girl." Natsu leapt forward. Flames burst from his feet as he rocketed towards the dragonoid. "Now watch your papa kick some metal dragon butt!"

Erza made to intercept Natsu, but Mira was quickly in her way, hovering on her bat-like wings to block Erza's path. She chuckled. "You really want to take me on by yourself? I will say that it's not a smart strategy."

Mira smiled. "Perhaps. Now let's see if your strength is anything like the real thing."

Natsu drew back his fists. Flames circled around his body. "I'll show you that your fake power of oppression is nothing!"

The dragonoid lifted its large arm, its palm facing Natsu. **"I WILL SHOW YOU THE IMPRUDENCE OF CHALLENGING ME! MY POWER IS ABSOLUTE!"** A concentrated ball of magic power appeared before almost instantly firing a beam of black power.

"FIRE DRAGON DUAL FANG!" With unreal reaction time, Natsu swiftly swung both fists forward. Flames erupted from his fists when they were at full reach, colliding with the black beam. The magic attacks cancelled each other out and exploded, creating a massive cloud of smoke. Natsu landed back on the broken floor of the hallway.

 **"IMPOSSIBLE! HOW DID YOU CANCEL MY ATTACK?"** Faust cried.

Natsu snickered as small embers floated around him. "You kidding? I spar with neighborhood kids with more magic power than you."

The dragonoid lifted both arms as a grating roar reverberated on the wind. **"YOU LITTLE MAGGOT! YOU DARE MOCK THE MAGIC POWER I SPENT YEARS TO COLLECT?! THAT'S IT! NOW YOU DIE!"**

"It's not your magic power!" Natsu shouted back, his eyes reflecting his fire. "You stole that magic from innocent people! And I _will_ make you pay!"

The mouth of the dragonoid opened wide as black magic began to gather in a swirling vortex. **"BEGONE!"** Faust spat. The dragonoid leaned forward and unleashed a massive, deafening blast of magic power.

But again, Natsu reacted quickly. He took a deep breath and fired a cyclone of flames from his mouth. "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

The two mighty roars smashed into each other, rocking the earth from the impact. They pushed into each other, melding together at times, but neither attack could gain ground on the other.

 **"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"** Faust wailed. He couldn't believe that his ultimate weapon, his beloved dragonoid, was being held back by one human man.

"My Lord!" Erza called out as she tried to make a run for Natsu to aid her king. However, Mira simply glided over to block her path yet again, the same grin on her face. Erza glared harshly at her. "Move out of my way."

"Sorry," Mira taunted, "but it looks like _I_ won't let _you_ interfere."

Erza pointed her spear at Mira threateningly. "I told you to move aside. I won't ask again."

Mira's smile faded. "Your opponent is me, no one else."

Erza's spear glowed brightly. The shear head instantly changed shape into that of a wavy, red triangular blade with symmetrical twin yellow carvings in the center. "Then face the might of my Spear of Ten Commandments: Explosion!" Erza leapt forward, her spear drawn back over her head, and as she rapidly closed the distance between her and Mira, her spear's head began to glow bright, crimson red. With a ferocious cry, she swung her spear, bringing it down with the speed of a guillotine. When her spear made contact with its target, a powerful explosion boomed. Thick smoke mixed with red hot flames shrouded the small area.

Erza had always found this attack to be very successful. Every time she used the Explosion technique of her rare and powerful magic tool, countless enemies would be wiped out. It always brought her great satisfaction every time she unleashed the destructive attack, so much so that an evil smile would always grace her otherwise beautiful face.

"My, how interesting."

However, this was not one of those times. For the first time in her life, her spear felt stuck. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she pulled, she couldn't move her spear back. It was lodged in something within the thick smoke. "What? What is this?"

The wind of the early morning began to push away the smokescreen. The first thing that came into Erza's view was a golden, armor-clad clawed hand gripping the glowing red spearhead. Moving up the arm was more of the same golden armor, shaped and twisted around into spiral patterns. The gaps connecting the patterns were pitch-black like pockets of void. The golden armor stopped halfway up the upper arm, revealing contrasting pale, smooth skin.

Erza's eyes shook as the smoke completely cleared. "How?"

Just like the arm that had somehow absorbed and stopped her Explosion, Mira's entire body was covered in the same golden armor with twisting spirals. The armor was thickest over her chest and stopped roughly an inch below her collarbone. Her toned stomach was covered by only a thin membrane of armor, giving it a slightly muddied color. Her legs were covered from hip to toe and the armor spiked outwards near her hips. On her head was a helmet that covered her forehead and surrounded the sides of her face. Demonic horns protruded from the back of the headdress, twisting and curling viciously. Her silver hair flew loosely behind her as it whipped around in the wind. Tied around her unprotected neck was a tattered, blood red cape and around her waist was tied a small cloth of the same color. Waving slightly behind her underneath the cloth was a black, armored tail. She smiled at Erza, her normally sapphire blue eyes dark. "That attack was powerful. But I should have predicted it. I apologize for not taking you seriously right away."

Serafine felt her breath leave her. She had never seen this form of her mother's before. "What is that?" she gasped in wonder.

Happy gulped. "That would be Mira's Satan Soul: Zepar. Her strongest form yet."

"Zepar? Wait, I thought Satan Soul: Sitri was Mama's strongest form?"

Happy scratched the back of his head. "Well…she was trying to keep it a secret. At least, until she felt like she could safely unveil it. Only Natsu and I knew about it."

"I can't believe she didn't tell me," Serafine huffed.

"You were only two when she took possession of it. It's been over ten years, but I guess she feels like she finally has complete control."

"It's taken Mama _that long_ to gain control?"

"Yup. It was a powerful demon. A leader of armies, they say."

"Well, what's it do?"

"You'll see."

Erza gritted her teeth as she tried to pull her spear free, but it still wouldn't budge. "Demon," she hissed.

Mira laughed. "That's right! I am a demon!" She tightened her grip on the spearhead.

And it instantly shattered.

Erza's eyes widened. "My…My Spear of Ten Commandments…you destroyed it."

Mira drew back her other hand. A small vortex of crimson appeared in her palm. "I was right. The real thing is much stronger."

Erza didn't have time to ponder this remark, let alone react to what was to come. In the blink of an eye, Mira extended her hand and fired a concussive wave of blood red magic. Erza was forced backwards as if she were fired from a cannon. She smashed into one of the outer stone walls of the central tower, her body imprinting in the thick bricks.

However, Mira wasn't taking anything for granted. She had sparred enough times against _her_ Erza to know that even a powerful blow like that wouldn't be enough. She dashed forward, seemingly teleporting until she was right in front of Erza's body. She drew back a closed fist before unleashing a swift powerful blow to Erza's unguarded stomach. The force of her armored fist was enough to force the air out of Erza's body. With one final gasp, Erza's head drooped forward.

"Whoa," Serafine whispered. "Such strength…"

"Yeah, Mira's scary when she uses this demon," Happy nodded.

Serafine forced herself to tear her eyes away from her mother's golden back so that she could return her attention to her father. Natsu was still locked in a stalemate with Faust's dragonoid. Neither Roar could make any headway.

That is, until…

"I'm all done now, Natsu. He won't be getting any unwanted help," Mira called out.

The corners of Natsu's mouth curled upwards. He gave a thumbs up to communicate understanding. He held out both arms as fire swirled around his extended limbs. Without a word (not that he could say anything, even if he wanted to) he thrust both arms toward the dragonoid's chest. Twin thundering pillars of red hot flames barreled towards their target. The intensity of the flames tore through the metal plating of the dragonoid's shell, blasting a hole completely through the torso and shooting out its backside.

Faust flinched from inside his dragonoid as his great weapon shook mightily from the hit it just took. His reaction was enough to slip his hands from the controls and his finger from the button for his dragonoid's breath attack. Once his finger was gone, the dragonoid's attack stopped.

And with no more resistance, Natsu's Fire Dragon Roar propelled forward and smacked into the head of the dragonoid. The force of the blast pushed the head of the dragonoid completely back. Metal creaked, threatening to snap.

 **"NO! NOOOOOOO!"** Faust roared in panic. How could his great weapon be losing? **"IT'S NOT POSSIBLE! WHAT KINDS OF MAGIC TOOLS** _ **ARE**_ **THOSE?!"**

Natsu stopped his attacks, grinning at the breaking tin toy in front of him. "Finish it."

Suddenly, Mira appeared above the dragonoid. Another crimson spiral was in her palm. "TIDES OF WAR!" She thrust forward with her hand, sending out another wave of crimson magic. The waves pushed down on the dragonoid, forcing it into the ground. Metal once again groaned as the joints on the mechanical beast began to crack.

 **"STAY AWAY FROM ME!"** Faust cried in desperation. **"I'M WARNING YOU! STAY BACK!"**

Natsu lifted a closed fist, his thumb tucked underneath his index finger. A small ember danced atop the nail of his thumb. "Not on your life, you heartless tyrant." He released his thumb, flicking the ember like a coin at the trapped dragonoid. The ember stayed true and as soon as it met its mark, it exploded in a cloud of fire.

Metal twisted. Screws burst. Plates snapped. A sickening scream echoed. And the dragonoid fell in a heap of scraps with Faust trapped inside.

Serafine always knew her parents were an unstoppable, especially when they fought as a team. She had seen them fight together countless times. But it seemed to her that every new time she watched them, she was more amazed than before. She clenched her fists, but not in jealousy or frustration; she was determined. _'Soon, my magic will be strong, like Mama's and Papa's. I will control it and make it my own. And you'll be watching me grow, right Lucius?'_

* * *

 **And there you have it! Next time I update, this story will have wrapped up! Until next time!**


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